Jesse Donald Sumner was born on January 9, 1937, in McLean, Illinois.

In March 1963, Jesse Donald Sumner slashed the throat of his alleged accomplice, Herschel Williams Jr., during a confrontation at Sumner's barber shop. Afterward, he concealed Williams' body in a 55-gallon barrel filled with concrete and buried it in a landfill in Bloomington. This act led to Sumner being investigated but was convicted of a robbery charge instead.

Sumner was paroled in January 1972, after serving time for the murder of Williams, which was revealed later when the body was discovered in June 1964. After his release, he began committing more crimes. In April 1972, 19-year-old Corene Marie Burchie disappeared, and her body was found the next day, strangled. Later, in December of the same year, 20-year-old Rae Ann Schneider went missing, followed by 18-year-old Dawn Marie Huwe in May 1973.

On July 19, 1973, Sumner was arrested for beating his wife. During this time, police interrogated him about the missing women. While he was not charged immediately, investigations continued. A few weeks later, Sumner confessed where he had buried Schneider and Huwe, leading to the discovery of their remains hidden under his garage and in a ditch. He was subsequently charged with the murders of all three women.

While awaiting trial, Sumner attempted to escape multiple times and showed signs of violent behavior toward prison staff. During a trial in September 1974, he pleaded guilty to the murders of Schneider and Huwe and received lengthy sentences of 100 to 200 years each. He was also sentenced for Burchie's murder.

In 1981, while in prison, Sumner was attacked by another inmate and required medical treatment. He later attempted parole in 1983, but relatives of his victims argued against it. In 1988, while being transported for a medical appointment, Sumner managed to escape, holding guards hostage before being recaptured shortly after.

Sumner spent the rest of his life in prison until he died on December 4, 2005, from an undisclosed illness while incarcerated at the Stateville Correctional Center.