Donald David Dillbeck was born on May 24, 1963, in El Paso, Texas. He had a challenging early life. When he was six years old, his father left him and his alcoholic mother. This situation led to him being placed in several foster homes until he turned 15.

On April 11, 1979, Donald Dillbeck was in a stolen car at a closed park in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. A deputy sheriff, Dwight Lynn Hall, responded to a complaint about a suspicious person. Dillbeck ran from the car, prompting Hall to chase him. During their struggle, Dillbeck managed to get Hall's gun and shot him, resulting in Hall's death. Dillbeck was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment on June 6, 1979.

On February 7, 1983, Dillbeck escaped from prison but was recaptured soon after. He received an additional sentence of one year and one day for the escape. Dillbeck was later transferred to a lower-security facility, where he faced disciplinary issues, including attempted assault in 1984 and possession of intoxicants in 1985.

On June 22, 1990, while working with other inmates at a catering event, Dillbeck walked away from the group. He eventually ended up in Tallahassee, where he stole a paring knife. On June 24, Dillbeck approached a woman named Robbie Faye Vann in a parking lot outside the Tallahassee Mall. He attempted to carjack her vehicle, and when she resisted, he stabbed her multiple times, resulting in her death. Dillbeck fled the scene but was quickly apprehended by a mall security guard and arrested nearby.

Dillbeck’s court-appointed lawyer conceded the crimes but attempted to present mitigating factors to avoid the death penalty. Despite this, Dillbeck was convicted of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and armed burglary on March 15, 1991. He was sentenced to death and received two additional consecutive life sentences. At the sentencing hearing, Dillbeck expressed remorse, saying:
"I'm really sorry for what happened. I wish it didn't, not because I'm standing here, but because it happened. I'm asking for a life sentence, not for my sake, but for my parents' sake."
His parents submitted statements arguing that Donald had suffered from long-standing mental and emotional damage, though the jury ultimately ruled in favor of capital punishment.

He was sent to death row at Florida State Prison.

On January 23, 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Dillbeck's death warrant, setting the date for his execution. On February 23, 2023, Dillbeck was executed by lethal injection. He was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. EST. Before he died, Dillbeck made a statement targeting Governor DeSantis.