John Evander Couey was born on September 19, 1958. 

On February 24, 2005, John Evander Couey kidnapped nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford from her home in Homosassa, Florida. He initially planned to burglarize the Lunsford home but then saw Jessica in her yard and abducted her instead. Couey entered the house through an unlocked door around three o'clock in the morning, awakened Jessica, and told her not to scream as he took her away.

Couey kept Jessica hidden in his bedroom for several days. During this time, he assaulted her multiple times. He placed her inside a closet when he went to work, asking her to stay quiet. After three days, he decided he could not keep her and tricked her into getting into two garbage bags, telling her he would take her home. He then buried her alive in a hole about 2.5 feet deep in the ground behind his trailer, covering the site with leaves.

Three weeks later, on March 19, the police found Jessica's body buried in the backyard of Couey’s former residence. The discovery of her remains showed signs of severe decomposition, and it was determined that she had suffocated. Following the investigation that connected Couey to the crime, he was arrested and charged with her murder.

While in custody, Couey confessed to the kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder of Jessica Lunsford. However, the judge later ruled that the confession was inadmissible in court because he had not been given access to a lawyer when it was recorded. Despite this setback, the evidence gathered during the investigation, including the DNA found on a blood-stained mattress, was used against him.

On March 7, 2007, after a trial moved to Miami, Couey was found guilty of all charges. A jury recommended the death penalty. On August 24, 2007, he was sentenced to death and received three life sentences. However, Couey died of natural causes in September 2009 before his sentence could be carried out.