Henry Louis Wallace was born on November 4, 1965, in Barnwell, South Carolina. He was raised by his mother, Lottie Mae Wallace, who worked long hours as a textile worker. His mother was often verbally abusive and would criticize him for even the smallest mistakes.

Wallace attended Barnwell High School. He was an active student and was elected to the student council. He also participated in cheerleading. After graduating in 1983, he worked as a disc jockey at a local radio station in Barnwell.

In 1985, Wallace joined the U.S. Navy. He married his high school sweetheart, Maretta Brabham, in 1987. After serving in the Navy, he was honorably discharged in 1988.

While in the Navy, Wallace started to use drugs, including crack cocaine. He faced legal trouble during this time, as he had several warrants for burglaries in the Seattle area. In January 1988, Wallace was arrested for breaking into a hardware store. He pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary and received a sentence of two years of supervised probation. However, he often missed his probation meetings.

On March 8, 1990, Henry Louis Wallace murdered 18-year-old Tashanda Bethea and dumped her body in a lake in Barnwell, South Carolina. Her body was discovered several weeks later. Although Wallace was questioned about her disappearance and death, he was never charged. He was also questioned about the attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl but faced no charges.

In May 1992, Wallace killed Sharon Nance, a 33-year-old woman, by beating her to death after a payment dispute. He left her body by railroad tracks, and it was found a few days later. In June 1992, he raped and strangled Caroline Love, a 20-year-old college student, at her apartment. He then disposed of her body in a wooded area. It took almost two years for her body to be found.

On February 19, 1993, Wallace raped and strangled Shawna Hawk at her home. He later attended her funeral. Shawna was a co-worker of Wallace at Taco Bell. On June 22, 1993, he raped and strangled Audrey Spain, another manager from Taco Bell. Her body was found a few days later.

Wallace killed Valencia M. Jumper, a 21-year-old college student, on August 10, 1993. He set her body on fire afterward. A month later, on September 14, 1993, he murdered Michelle Stinson, a 20-year-old college student. He committed the murder in front of her young son.

On February 20, 1994, Wallace raped and strangled Vanessa Little Mack, a 25-year-old woman he knew through her sister. The next month, he killed 24-year-old Betty Jean Baucom, taking her valuables and car afterward. He returned to the same complex that day to murder Brandi June Henderson, an 18-year-old mother. He raped her while she held her baby and then strangled her. He also strangled her baby, who survived.

On March 12, 1994, Wallace killed 35-year-old Debra Ann Slaughter, stabbing her 38 times after raping and strangling her. On March 13, 1994, he was arrested. He confessed to the murders of 10 women in Charlotte and one before moving there, providing detailed descriptions of his victims.

After his confession, Wallace was charged with nine murders. His trial began in September 1996, and he was found guilty on January 7, 1997. On January 29, he received nine death sentences.