McWatters, born on June 28, 1978, has a troubled past with sparse details about his early life. After leaving high school due to a drug addiction, he faced difficulties securing stable employment, taking up various low-skilled jobs. In January 1998, McWatters was arrested for aggravated battery against a teenage boy. He entered a no-contest plea, resulting in a conviction and a seven-month prison sentence, followed by probation.

In 2001, McWatters was arrested again after injuring his girlfriend's father with a firearm. This incident led to a three-month prison term for probation violation. The following year, in February, he faced arrest for assaulting his landlord's son, but the charge was dismissed due to insufficient evidence. In November of the same year, McWatters was accused of robbing a man and stealing his necklace. However, the case was dropped when the victim chose not to cooperate and eventually left the country. In August 2003, McWatters was arrested for robbing a woman's car but was released after the victim did not assist the police.

On December 15, 2003, McWatters assaulted a homeless woman at a campsite in Golden Gate. The attack went unreported to the authorities. On March 24, 2004, McWatters attacked another woman, Jackie Bradley, who was 43 years old. During the assault, he strangled Bradley to death, then disposed of her body in a shallow ditch, attempting to cover it with rocks. A jogger discovered Bradley's body on March 31. McWatters was identified as the last person seen with her, but the police did not pursue him at that time.

On May 31, McWatters picked up Christal Wiggins, a 29-year-old sex worker, and strangled her. He left her body in a brush pile. Later that same day, McWatters killed 18-year-old Carrie Ann Caughey, strangling her and covering her body with branches. During this attack, McWatters broke his foot. Caughey's body was found four days later by passersby.

By the time Caughey's body was discovered, it was believed she was killed by the same person who murdered Bradley. On June 7, Wiggins' body was found and linked to the other murders. Investigators learned that McWatters had sought treatment at a hospital for his broken foot. The homeless woman from 2003 came forward and identified McWatters from a photo lineup. He was arrested and confessed to the murders but later retracted his confession.

The trial began in September 2006. Prosecutors portrayed McWatters as a manipulative killer who lured his victims with promises of drugs and alcohol. His defense argued that he confessed for attention and did not commit the murders. McWatters was found guilty and sentenced to death on December 4, 2006. He spent eight years on death row before a judge granted him a new trial in 2014, citing inadequate defense in the original trial. McWatters pleaded no contest in the new trial and received a life sentence in 2015.