Ivan Jerome Hill was born on March 30, 1961, in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in a difficult environment. His father was often aggressive towards his family. This violence escalated on Christmas in 1968 when Hill's father shot his mother in the face with a .22 caliber rifle. Although she survived, it was a serious injury. Afterward, Hill's mother divorced his father. By the age of 10, Ivan took on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings.

During his teenage years, Ivan lived in Pomona and attended Pomona High School. He participated in sports and became the captain of the school football team. Many people who knew him at school remembered him positively. However, his life took a turn in 1978, just before he graduated. He developed a drug addiction, which led to a loss of interest in his studies.

In January 1979, Ivan Jerome Hill was involved in several robberies. On January 23, he and an accomplice robbed a liquor store in Glendora. During this robbery, the accomplice killed a man and seriously injured another person. Hill was found guilty of complicity in this murder but received a short sentence due to his cooperation with the investigation.

While serving his time, Hill graduated from high school and later attended college. He was released in the mid-1980s. After his release, he moved around the San Gabriel Valley and worked various low-skill jobs. In the late 1980s, he was arrested again for theft and later released in February 1993. However, he returned to crime and committed several more robberies, leading to his arrest in early 1994. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

While in prison, a blood sample was taken from Hill. In 2003, during DNA testing, it was discovered that his DNA matched that of an unidentified serial killer. This killer had attacked women in the suburbs of Los Angeles between 1986 and 1994. The investigation pointed to several victims.

The body of Lorna Patricia Reed was found on February 11, 1986, in Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park. Rhonda Jackson’s nude body was discovered in a dumpster on January 26, 1987. Betty Sue Harris was found strangled on November 1, 1993, behind an industrial building. Roxanne Brooks Bates was found on November 5, 1993, strangled in Chino. Helen Ruth Hill was discovered on November 14, 1993, in a parking lot with her hands bound. Donna Goldsmith was found strangled two days later. Cheryl Sayers's body was discovered on December 30, 1993, with her wrists and ankles bound. The body of Deborah Denise Brown was found on January 12, 1994, also strangled.

Hill's trial began on October 23, 2006. During the trial, recordings of Hill's calls to the police were played for the jury. He made statements about killing again. On November 17, 2006, he was convicted of six counts of murder related to the slayings from 1993 to 1994. His mother testified during the sentencing phase, but Hill was sentenced to death on January 2, 2007.

On May 15, 2009, Hill pleaded guilty to the murders of Lorna Reed and Rhonda Jackson. As of November 2019, he continued to await execution on death row at San Quentin State Prison. By May 2024, he was transferred to the California Health Care Facility in Stockton.