Elroy Chester was born on June 14, 1969, in Jefferson County, Texas. He grew up in a difficult environment. Chester had a challenging childhood that influenced his later life. He faced a number of struggles while growing up, including family issues and limited support.

Between 1997 and 1998, Elroy Chester committed a series of burglaries and murders in Port Arthur, Texas. He admitted to killing five people. The first was John Henry Sepeda, who was 78 years old, on September 20, 1997. The next was Etta Mae Stallings, aged 87, on November 15, 1997. On November 20, 1997, he killed Cheryl DeLeon, who was 40, as she arrived home from work. Chester then killed his common-law brother-in-law, Albert Bolden Jr., on December 21, 1997, when Bolden was 35. His last confirmed murder was of Willie Ryman III, a 38-year-old firefighter, on February 6, 1998. Ryman had tried to defend his nieces from Chester after he had already sexually assaulted them.

After his arrest, forensic evidence linked Chester's DNA to three rapes, including that of a ten-year-old girl. He also confessed to four non-fatal shootings. Chester claimed that his violent actions were fueled by a deep-seated hatred for white people, stemming from an encounter with a white worker at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

During his trial, he was very disruptive. He threatened police, prison staff, and jurors. At one point, Chester stated that if he had not shot his brother-in-law, he would still be killing white people. He was convicted of the murder of Willie Ryman III and the assault on his nieces. The jury took only over 11 minutes to decide on the death penalty for him after he made threats in court.

Despite scoring below 70 on IQ tests and being placed in a program for mentally retarded offenders in Texas, the court ruled that Chester was mentally competent to face execution. The prosecutors argued that his mental disability did not excuse his actions. They also presented evidence that he carefully planned his crimes, which indicated that he was capable of forming intent.

Chester's appeal to the Supreme Court was declined in October 2012. He was initially set to be executed on April 24, 2013, but this was delayed due to a warrant error. He was finally executed on June 12, 2013, at the Huntsville Unit in Texas, just two days before his 44th birthday. He was buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery.