Joe Nathan James Jr. was born on July 25, 1972. He grew up in the United States but not much is known about his early childhood. He later entered into a relationship with a woman named Faith Hall. This relationship lasted for about a year and a half to two years, according to Faith's brother.

After their relationship ended, Joe Nathan James Jr. became fixated on Faith. After she rejected him, he began to stalk and harass her. This behavior went on for several months. Court records indicate that Faith and her grandmother filed four police reports against James in the year before Faith's death. The reports included claims of James making threats, entering their home without permission, damaging items, banging on windows, and making constant phone calls.

On August 15, 1994, Joe Nathan James Jr. followed Faith Hall and her friend after they went shopping. They returned to the friend's apartment, and while inside, they tried to barricade the door. James burst into the apartment. Faith attempted to calm him down while trying to protect the children present. Despite her efforts, James shot at Faith three times as she tried to flee. After she collapsed, he fired again.

In 1996, James was convicted of capital murder by a jury in Jefferson County, which recommended the death penalty. However, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals overturned the conviction because a judge had improperly allowed certain police reports as evidence. James faced a retrial in 1999, where he was again sentenced to death, despite claims that he was emotionally distressed at the time of the shooting.

While on death row, James converted to Islam. In June and July 2022, he filed several lawsuits concerning his execution, arguing that he did not have the opportunity to choose nitrogen hypoxia as a method of execution. These claims were ultimately denied.

James was executed by lethal injection on July 28, 2022. Scheduled for 6 p.m., he was not pronounced dead until 9:27 p.m., leading to suggestions that it may have been one of the longest executions in U.S. history. During the execution, he did not open his eyes or respond when asked if he had any final words. Witnesses reported they could not confirm if he was conscious during the procedure.

After the execution, Faith Hall's family publicly expressed forgiveness for James and called for the state not to take another life. The Alabama Attorney General stated that justice had been served. James's execution led Governor Kay Ivey to call for a temporary halt to executions in Alabama, which lasted until July 21, 2023, when executions resumed after a moratorium.