Joe Metheny was born on March 2, 1955, in Maryland. He grew up in a troubled household with an alcoholic father and a mother who struggled to care for him and his five siblings. His father died in a car accident when Joe was just six years old. This left his mother to work double shifts to support the family, which led to Joe feeling neglected.

As a child, Joe was an above-average student and polite, but the lack of parental attention took a toll on him. He claimed that his parents sent him to live in foster homes, and he suffered from depression due to his difficult childhood. However, his mother later disputed this, saying she worked hard to provide for her children and they were never in foster care.

At 18, Joe joined the United States Army and served in Germany. He claimed to have served in Vietnam, where he said he became addicted to heroin, but there is no record of him serving in Vietnam. After leaving the Army, he had little contact with his mother, who believed his life took a turn for the worse due to his drug use.

Joe worked various blue-collar jobs, such as in lumberyards and as a truck driver. Despite his efforts to maintain steady employment, his personal life remained chaotic and marked by substance abuse.

Joe Metheny, a serial killer from Baltimore, was known for his brutal crimes that shocked the community. His killing spree began in the 1990s. Metheny targeted vulnerable individuals, often luring them with promises of drugs or shelter before violently ending their lives. His known victims include Kathy Spicer and Cathy Ann Magaziner, whom he confessed to murdering and dismembering.

Metheny was arrested in 1996 after police found remains of his victims at his home. During interrogation, he confessed to several murders, revealing gruesome details of his crimes. He claimed to have killed many more, but not all of his confessions were verified. His horrifying acts included cannibalism, which he chillingly described to the authorities.

Joe Metheny's trial resulted in multiple convictions, and he received life sentences for his crimes. While in prison, he continued to draw attention due to the nature of his confessions and the macabre details of his killings. Metheny died in 2017 at the Western Correctional Institution in Maryland.