James Richard Curry was born in Bexar, Texas, on November 16, 1946. He was the illegitimate son of a man and a woman from Dallas. They had an affair, and only his mother chose to raise him. She decided to raise him under a different name. As a child, there is not much information available about his family life or upbringing.

In the late 1960s to early 1970s, Curry got into trouble with the law. He was arrested for robbery and assault. This led to a sentence of 20 years in prison at the Huntsville Unit. He spent several years there before being released in 1977. After his release, Curry chose to leave Texas. He moved to California and settled in a small community called Waukena.

Once in California, Curry found a job at a locksmithing company. It was during this time that he became acquainted with others in his field. However, there are few details about his life during these years. He worked for a while at the locksmithing company but continued to have a troubled background.

While working in Waukena, James Richard Curry became friends with James DeWitt Robinson, a locksmith. Robinson had received a settlement of $10,000 from a lawsuit and was involved in property dealings. In 1978, Robinson disappeared without a trace. His case was never investigated since no one reported him missing.

In the early 1980s, Curry bought a self-storage yard in Santa Clara. He met Richard Lemmon Jr., who wanted to store his belongings there. They were friendly until early 1982 when Curry decided to kill Lemmon. On February 17, Curry shot Lemmon in the head inside the storage locker. He hid Lemmon's body in a wooden crate and left it there. Later, Curry gave Lemmon's motorcycle to one of his sons.

On July 17, 1982, Curry encountered 33-year-old Mary Edith Silvani in Washoe County, Nevada. He sexually assaulted her and then shot her in the back of the head. He left her body along the Sheep's Flat hiking trail, where hikers discovered it later. Her identity remained unknown for years, and she was referred to as "Sheep's Flat Jane Doe."

Curry also met Gerald and Sharon K. Novoselatz, a couple who owned a competing storage facility. After a conflict stemming from a Christmas party, Curry went to their apartment on January 2, 1983. Gerald wanted to buy a .45 revolver from Curry. Instead of selling it, Curry shot Gerald in the head. He stole $400 from their apartment, raped Sharon, and forced her into his car. On the way to the airport, Sharon tried to escape, but Curry captured her. He then shot her in the head and left her body near the Crystal Springs Reservoir.

Curry was arrested two days after the Novoselatz murders. During questioning at the jail, the police searched his storage unit and found Lemmon's decomposing body. Curry confessed to the three murders and shocked authorities by asking one of them to shoot him.

On January 6, while awaiting further charges, Curry attempted suicide by hanging himself with a makeshift noose in his cell. He was found and taken to the hospital, where he was placed on life support. Unfortunately, on January 7, doctors declared him dead after they decided to turn off the life support.

After Curry's death, the case of Mary Silvani remained open for many years. In the mid-2010s, detectives worked with genetic genealogists to identify her. They successfully matched her DNA to her family and confirmed her identity. Additionally, Curry’s DNA linked him to her murder, officially closing the case.