Jay D. Scott was born on August 21, 1952, in Cleveland, Ohio. He was the sixth of eleven children born to Willie and Sadie Scott. Raised in poverty on Cleveland’s East Side, Scott’s childhood was marked by neglect and instability. Both of his parents struggled with alcoholism and gambling addictions, often spending the family's income on vices rather than necessities. The children shared overcrowded sleeping arrangements, sometimes up to four siblings in one bed.

Scott spent much of his time on the streets and by age nine, he was already encountering the criminal justice system. Arrested for truancy, theft, and breaking and entering, his early run-ins with the law signaled a troubled trajectory. At age 13, he was placed in the Cleveland Boys School for troubled youth. His environment was further scarred by violence, two of his siblings were murdered, and another was paralyzed from a gunshot wound.

Despite his circumstances, there was little intervention to redirect his life. With a lack of family structure, stability, or support, Scott spiraled deeper into crime. By adulthood, he was known as a stick-up man and had developed a reputation in the Cleveland streets for armed robberies and violence. Scott was later diagnosed with schizophrenia, and mental illness.

The violent chapter of Jay D. Scott's criminal history began in early May 1983. On May 6, Vinnie M. Price, the owner of the V & E Delicatessen in Cleveland, was shot and killed during an attempted robbery. A nearby resident testified seeing a suspicious Cadillac with no rear license plate parked near the store just before the crime. Three men were observed in or near the vehicle, and after the sound of gunfire, they quickly fled the scene.

The following day, Scott was involved in the robbery and fatal shooting of Alexander Jones, a restaurant security guard. Though he was initially sentenced to death for this crime as well, the sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment upon appeal.

Police were tipped off by Ricky Tramble, who arranged a meeting with investigators. Tramble revealed that Scott had openly admitted to the shooting, saying, “Well, I did what I had to do. She shouldn’t have made me move like that.” Tramble also implicated several others—Edward O’Neal, Michael Streeter, and Danny Jones—confirming their presence during the crimes. O'Neal and Jones were arrested and confirmed that Scott had been the shooter in Price's murder.

On May 17, 1983, Scott and his co-defendants were formally indicted. Scott was eventually arrested in Reading, Pennsylvania on July 29 and was extradited back to Ohio on November 10. At trial, Scott pleaded not guilty. Despite this, the jury found him guilty of all charges and recommended the death sentence. Judge Joseph McManamon confirmed this sentence on April 3, 1984.

Scott's defense argued for years that he suffered from chronic schizophrenia and should be deemed mentally unfit for execution. His lawyers elevated the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, but every appeal was denied.

In 1985, Scott, along with fellow inmates William G. Zuern Jr. and John William Byrd Jr., staged a hostage situation at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility. Their demands ranged from better prison amenities to jail transfers. The hostages were released unharmed after 15 hours. Scott and the others were eventually offered a plea deal—pleading guilty to abduction in exchange for a gourmet dinner and reduced charges. The incident caused public outrage.

Scott’s execution date was approved on April 19, 2000. Twice, his life was spared within minutes of the scheduled execution, including one instance where the IV shunts had already been inserted into his arms. These delays were due to last-minute legal challenges regarding his mental competency. However, on June 14, 2001, Jay D. Scott was executed by lethal injection at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility.