Ellis Wayne Felker was born on June 1, 1948, in Georgia. In 1977, he was convicted of aggravated sodomy after sexually assaulting a woman who managed to escape and alert authorities. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison but was paroled after serving four years. Following his release, Felker operated a leather goods store in Warner Robins, Georgia.

In November 1981, 19-year-old Evelyn Joy Ludlam, a college student and cocktail waitress, disappeared in Warner Robins, Georgia. She had left a note indicating she was meeting with Felker regarding a potential job opportunity at his leather shop. Her car was later found abandoned.

Two weeks after her disappearance, Ludlam's body was discovered in Scuffle Creek. She had been raped and murdered by asphyxiation. Felker, who had been under police surveillance during the latter part of the two-week period, became the prime suspect.

The prosecution's case was largely circumstantial, relying on hair evidence and Felker's prior conviction. An initial autopsy suggested Ludlam had been dead for five days, which would have excluded Felker due to the surveillance. However, the medical examiner later revised the time of death to align with the prosecution's timeline.

Felker was convicted in 1983 of murder, rape, aggravated sodomy, and false imprisonment, and was sentenced to death. He maintained his innocence throughout his incarceration.

After exhausting numerous appeals, Felker was executed by electrocution on November 15, 1996. In 2000, posthumous DNA testing was conducted on evidence from the case, marking the first time in the U.S. such testing was performed on an executed individual. The results were inconclusive, leaving questions about Felker's guilt unresolved.