Glen Burton Ake was born on September 8, 1955. His early life is not widely documented, but certain aspects stand out. Ake grew up in Oklahoma and was diagnosed as a probable paranoid schizophrenic. This diagnosis would affect his life deeply.

Growing up, Ake struggled with mental health issues that were not well understood at the time. As he got older, his condition became more apparent. His behavior began to raise concerns about his mental stability. Psychiatrists noted that he displayed delusions, claiming, for example, that he was a divine figure.

By late 1979, his actions had become alarming enough to lead to serious legal consequences. Ake’s mental health struggles would play a significant role in the events that unfolded later in his life. Following a series of evaluations, a prolonged psychiatric evaluation was recommended to determine his competency to stand trial. Ake was then confined to a state hospital to receive further care and assessment.

On October 15, 1979, Glen Burton Ake and his accomplice, Steven Keith Hatch, committed violent crimes in the home of Reverend Richard Douglass and his family. They gained entry under the pretense of needing directions, but once inside, they held the family at gunpoint. Ake and Hatch bound and gagged the parents and their two children, twelve-year-old Leslie and sixteen-year-old Brooks, after threatening to kill them.

During the ordeal, Ake and Hatch took turns attempting to sexually assault Leslie. After their attempts failed, they forced her back to the living room with her family. Ake then shot the Reverend Douglass and Leslie twice each and shot Mrs. Douglass and Brooks once each before fleeing the scene. Mrs. Douglass died almost immediately, while Reverend Douglass died from both gunshot wounds and strangulation due to being bound.

Despite their injuries, Leslie and Brooks managed to free themselves and seek help from a nearby doctor. Ake and Hatch were arrested some time later in Colorado. Ake confessed to the crimes in detail, and evidence linked them to the scene, including Ake's palm print and weapons matching the bullets found at the Douglass home.

Ake was initially charged and convicted of two counts of murder and two counts of shooting with intent to kill. His first trial ended in a death sentence, but he challenged the verdict, claiming he had not been afforded an adequate defense regarding his mental state at the time of the offenses. His bizarre behavior during the trial led to further evaluations, and it was determined he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.

Following an appeal and a ruling by the United States Supreme Court in Ake v. Oklahoma, Ake was retried with access to a psychiatrist. He was ultimately convicted again, this time receiving two life sentences. Ake's accomplice, Steven Keith Hatch, was executed in 1996. Ake died in a prison hospital in Oklahoma on April 23, 2011.