James Otto Earhart was born on April 29, 1943, in Huntsville, Texas. 

On May 12, 1987, 9-year-old Kandy Janell Kirtland was dropped off by her school bus at an intersection near her home in Bryan, Texas. She entered her house and left her backpack at the front door. After setting her key down in the kitchen, she went outside to get her backpack. At around 3:40 PM, witnesses saw Kandy talking to a man parked in a car in front of her driveway. When her parents returned home, they found Kandy missing. Her key was left next to the stove, and her backpack was still at the front door. They quickly contacted the authorities.

The police interviewed witnesses who described the man as a heavyset white male weighing around 400 pounds, with either dishwater blond or brown hair. He was driving a brown or burnt orange 1976 Chevrolet Impala. Witnesses also reported he had visited the Kirtland home the day before and asked about buying a paint gun. The FBI joined the investigation, and on May 22, authorities issued an arrest warrant for James Otto Earhart, who matched the suspect’s description.

On May 26, 1987, Earhart was found sleeping in a car in the Sam Houston National Forest. He was arrested without resistance, and a .22 caliber pistol was found in his vehicle. During a search of his home, police found a note with the Kirtland family’s address and newspaper articles about Kandy's abduction. Earhart was placed in custody with a $75,000 bond.

Later that day, a man walking in the forest discovered a pile of rags with a white tennis shoe peeking out. Upon checking, he saw a young girl’s ankle and alerted the police. The body was later confirmed to be Kandy Kirtland. Following the discovery, the police raised Earhart’s bond to $100,000 and announced they would investigate him for two additional murders. These victims were Ruth Richardson Green, who had been abducted and shot the previous year, and Alice Martin, who was found stabbed to death in February 1987.

On May 28, the autopsy confirmed that the body found was that of Kandy Kirtland. Earhart was charged with capital murder and first-degree kidnapping. Due to the case's severity, the trial location was moved to Giddings, and Earhart underwent a psychological evaluation.

In a pre-trial hearing, Earhart claimed he confessed while exhausted and under hypnosis. However, witnesses continued to testify that he matched the description of the man talking to Kandy. The jury took less than three hours to find him guilty, and he was sentenced to death.

In June 1993, Earhart’s case was reviewed by the Supreme Court, but his sentence was upheld. He was set to be executed on August 11, 1999. On that day, he made no final statement and was executed by lethal injection at the Huntsville Unit.

After his execution, Earhart was buried at Blackjack Cemetery. In 2017, his DNA was linked to the 1981 murder of realtor Virginia "Ginger" Freeman through DNA testing conducted by Parabon NanoLabs. This investigation began after a familial match was found with Earhart's son. In 2018, Earhart’s body was exhumed for further analysis. By October 2019, authorities confirmed his DNA matched with evidence in Freeman's murder.

As of November 2021, Earhart remains a suspect in the murder of Ruth Richardson Green, while another convicted killer has been linked to the murder of Alice Martin.