Francisco Acevedo was born on September 2, 1968, in Meriden, Connecticut. He was the middle child among three siblings in his family, raised by his mother, Yadira Acevedo. When he was 14 years old, his parents got a divorce. Following the divorce, he moved in with his father.

At a young age, Acevedo had difficulties with substance abuse. He began using alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine when he was just 12 years old. His struggles with drugs and alcohol affected his education. He dropped out of high school during his freshman year. After leaving school, he took on various jobs to support himself. These jobs included working as a laborer, cooking at a pizzeria, washing dishes at Testa's Silvertown Inn, and baking at Dunkin' Donuts during the late-night shift.

In the 1990s, Acevedo moved to Mount Vernon, New York. During this time, he met his future wife while working at a place called New Way Kitchen. The couple eventually had two sons together.

Francisco Acevedo is a convicted serial killer linked to three murders in New York between 1989 and 1996. He was arrested on January 26, 2009, for drunk driving. While in prison, he provided a DNA sample for a parole application. His DNA matched evidence from three cold cases involving murdered women.

The victims were Maria Ramos, who was killed on February 5, 1989; Tawanda Hodges, murdered on March 28, 1991; and Kimberly Moore, who died on May 24, 1996. Each victim was found naked and beaten. Their bodies were also posed after they were killed. Investigators had been aware that the murders were connected because of matching DNA, but they did not have a suspect until Acevedo provided his DNA.

At his trial, Acevedo claimed he was innocent. He admitted to having sexual relations with the victims but denied being involved in their deaths. He was acquitted of three charges of rape, as the women were known to be prostitutes. However, on the first day of jury deliberations, he was found guilty of the murders.

Acevedo received three sentences of 25 years to life imprisonment, with the sentences to be served consecutively. This totals a minimum of 75 years in prison. He is currently held at Green Haven Correctional Facility.