Fernando Velazco Cota was born on June 20, 1946. Little is known about his early life and upbringing. In the mid-1960s, he was drafted into the United States Army. After completing his training, Cota was sent to fight in the Vietnam War. He experienced active combat during this time and was promoted to the rank of sergeant.

After returning home from the war, Cota married and started a family. He had several children with his wife. In the early 1970s, Cota's behavior began to change. He showed an increased sex drive and began harassing women and girls. While living in El Paso, Texas, he committed a serious crime in 1975 by attacking a nurse. He was arrested for this crime and later received a conviction, resulting in a 20-year sentence. Consequently, his wife divorced him while he was in prison.

During his time in prison, Cota participated in several rehabilitation programs. He earned a reputation as an exemplary inmate. As a result, he was granted parole on September 29, 1983. After getting out, he moved to La Paz, Mexico. There, he learned about job opportunities in Silicon Valley, California. Cota then decided to move to San Jose, California. He secured housing near San Jose State University and found work as a computer programmer at Aydin Microwave Inc.

While employed there, Cota exhibited strange and eccentric behavior towards his female coworkers. He did not register as a sex offender, even though he was legally required to do so.

On the evening of October 14, 1984, Fernando Velazco Cota was driving his white Chevrolet van erratically on Highway 101 near San Carlos, California. Traffic police became suspicious and stopped him. When officers approached, Cota ignored their requests for paperwork and instead pulled out a .22 caliber revolver. He shouted, "Kill me! Kill me! I'm very sick. If you don't kill me, I'll kill myself!" He then shot himself in the mouth. Cota was transported to the Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Redwood City but later died from his injuries.

While searching his van, police discovered a wooden box containing the body of a young woman. The victim was identified as Kim Marie Dunham, a 21-year-old who had gone missing just a day prior. Her hands were tied, and she had been assaulted before being strangled. In his van, officers also found other items, including blood-splattered clothing and a purse.

After Cota's death, investigators secured a search warrant for his apartment. Inside, they found a closet where metal braces were attached to the walls, supposedly used to restrain victims. There were also fingerprints on the walls, which were sent for analysis to identify other possible victims. The search turned up fake IDs, a false police badge, women’s clothing, and several pairs of women’s shoes.

As the investigation progressed, police looked into other recent unsolved murder cases in the area. They identified six women who were reported missing or found dead between September and October of 1984. These women had all suffered violent deaths, including strangulation and stabbing.

The potential victims included Tania Zack, Kelly Ralston, Gwendolyn Hoffman, Lori Leigh Miller, and Teresa Linda Sunder. Zack was missing from a car that ran out of gas, and her body was discovered in a ravine. Ralston was found stabbed in her apartment. Hoffman was kidnapped, and her body was located in the trunk of her vehicle. Miller also went missing from near the university and was later found strangled. Sunder was discovered dead in an abandoned house two weeks after her disappearance.

Despite extensive efforts to connect Cota to these cases, investigators could not conclusively link him to the murders. Nonetheless, he remained a prime suspect in all of them.