James E. Childers was born on February 8, 1964, in Copen, West Virginia. He grew up on a 96-acre farm owned by his family. Little is known about his childhood, but living on a farm often involves hard work and responsibility. After finishing school, Childers moved to the nearby city of Clarksburg. In Clarksburg, he worked various jobs. Most of his work was in construction, and he later found employment as a handyman.

In the late 1990s, Childers began to struggle with his mental health. He showed signs of depression and began to abuse alcohol and drugs. His struggles with substance use led him to seek treatment. Throughout his life, many people viewed him as a friendly person. Friends and neighbors described him as someone who often helped others with chores. He was known to take walks around the city, appearing to lead an ordinary life.

On June 1, 2009, a packet containing letters and an audio-taped confession arrived at the Clarksburg police station. In these materials, James E. Childers admitted to five murders and four arsons. He expressed no remorse for his actions. Instead, he described his anger, distrust, and paranoia towards others as the reasons for his crimes. Childers claimed he had buried four victims on his family farm in Braxton County and discarded one in Barbour County. He also named other people he considered potential victims and mentioned trying to pay someone for information about his ex-girlfriend.

Later that day, police followed the directions given by Childers. They discovered two female bodies. The first body was identified as Carrie Lynn Baker, a 26-year-old woman who had been missing since the summer of 2008. The second body was Carolyn Sue Sauerwein, a 45-year-old friend of Childers. She had been shot in the head. After these findings, the police issued an arrest warrant for Childers, who was last seen at a motel in Clarksburg.

The next day, police surrounded the motel. Upon seeing this, Childers took his own life by shooting himself in the head. After confirming his death, investigators searched the family farm based on Childers' claims of more victims buried there, but no additional remains were found. Although the police considered him a suspect in other murders, their investigation could not link him to any more missing persons.

In 2017, a documentary titled "Mountain of the Missing" focused on Childers' crimes. Filmmakers sought to uncover more about his involvement in disappearances in Clarksburg and surrounding areas. They wanted to investigate the family farm using metal detectors, but Childers' relatives did not allow access. The police also refused to issue a search warrant for the property, leaving many questions unanswered.