Elmer David Bruner was born on January 18, 1918, in Ohio. From a young age, he was entangled in criminal activities, reportedly entering correctional institutions as early as age 10. His early offenses included petty thefts, often justified by his need to provide for his siblings during harsh times.​

Bruner's criminal record expanded over the years, encompassing burglary, breaking and entering, and forgery. He served multiple sentences in the West Virginia Industrial Home for Boys and later in Moundsville Prison. Despite periods of incarceration, he continued to reoffend upon release.​

In November 1956, Bruner married Norma Gertrude Morris. The couple resided in Huntington, West Virginia, where Bruner worked as a handyman. At the time of the crime, he was on parole.​

On May 27, 1957, 58-year-old Ruby H. Miller returned to her Huntington home to find Bruner burglarizing her residence. Armed with a shotgun, she confronted him. Bruner overpowered her, seized the weapon, and proceeded to beat her with a claw hammer. He also attempted to strangle her with a silk stocking, which was found wrapped around her neck. A pathologist later determined that Miller was raped post-mortem, although Bruner was not charged with this offense.

Bruner was apprehended approximately an hour after the discovery of Miller's body, initially in connection with a separate burglary. Evidence linking him to Miller's murder included possession of her car keys and stolen jewelry found in a bus station locker. He confessed to the murder after hours of interrogation, providing a detailed account of the events.

His trial commenced on June 22, 1957, and concluded with a guilty verdict on June 29. The jury did not recommend mercy, resulting in an automatic death sentence. Bruner's appeals delayed the execution until April 3, 1959, when he was executed by electrocution at the West Virginia State Penitentiary. He was the last person executed in West Virginia before the state abolished the death penalty in 1965.​