Donald Broadnax was born on January 1, 1961, in Birmingham, Alabama.

In August 1977, Donald Broadnax got into an argument with his friend, Gregory Manson. The argument escalated, and Broadnax shot Manson multiple times. He was arrested three months later and convicted of first-degree murder, receiving a 99-year prison sentence.

Broadnax was paroled in 1986 but violated his parole within two years and returned to prison. In 1992, he entered a work release program and worked as a painter. In January 1994, he married Hector Jan Stamps. On April 25, while at work, Broadnax's wife visited him, bringing her 4-year-old grandson, DeAngelo. After leaving the boy in the car, Stamps entered the factory, and Broadnax killed her using a plank. He then placed her body in his car's trunk and drove away with DeAngelo.

Broadnax took DeAngelo to a secluded area and killed him as well. He concealed the boy’s body in the trunk with his grandmother's. Afterward, he returned to the Work Release Center, trying to hide his bloody uniform and boots. However, other inmates found the clothes and reported them. Broadnax was detained and later charged with two counts of capital murder.

During his trial, the jury heard different accounts of the events. Detective Vincent Cunningham testified that Broadnax said the day of the murders began with Stamps bringing him food. However, another inmate testified that Broadnax drove away with DeAngelo, but Stamps was not with them. The prosecution presented evidence linking Broadnax to the murders and argued he was upset with Stamps for not securing his parole.

On June 6, 1997, the jury found Broadnax guilty, and he was sentenced to death in September of that same year. He appealed the sentence, claiming ineffective legal counsel, but the courts upheld the sentence several times. As of January 2025, Donald Broadnax remains on death row at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama, with no scheduled execution date publicly announced.