Jorge Avila-Torrez was born on August 18, 1988, in Zion, Illinois. He grew up in a neighborhood where many families had children. As a child, he played outside and went to school like other kids.

During his teenage years, Jorge was known to have friends in the area. He was particularly acquainted with two girls, Laura Hobbs and Krystal Tobias, who lived nearby. Jorge was friends with Krystal’s older half-brother. This connection meant Jorge crossed paths with the girls from time to time.

By the age of 16, Jorge's life took a turn. He faced difficulties at home, which may have influenced his behavior. In search of a better opportunity, he decided to join the United States Marine Corps. Enlisting in the Marines allowed him to leave his hometown and start fresh. He was stationed at Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall in Virginia.

On Mother's Day in May 2005, eight-year-old Laura Hobbs and nine-year-old Krystal Tobias went missing while riding their bicycles. After a night of searching by their families, police, and volunteers, their bodies were discovered the next day by Laura's father, Jerry Hobbs. Both girls had been fatally stabbed and sexually assaulted. Authorities initially focused their investigation on Jerry Hobbs, who was an ex-convict. After being held for five years, he was found not to be the killer when DNA evidence did not match him.

During the time of the murders, 16-year-old Jorge Avila-Torrez lived nearby and knew the girls. Following the incidents in Illinois, he joined the U.S. Marines to avoid suspicion. He was stationed at Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia. In 2009, he murdered Amanda Jean Snell, a 20-year-old Navy Petty Officer, by strangling her in the barracks.

In February 2010, Avila-Torrez targeted two women in Northern Virginia. He stalked them and abducted one woman, binding her with electrical cords. He drove her to a remote area where he raped and strangled her, leaving her for dead by the roadside. The victim survived and reported the attack. This led to the investigation that ultimately discovered the DNA connections to the previous murders.

After his arrest, Avila-Torrez was placed in a cell with Osama El-Atari, who was also a prisoner. El-Atari wore a wire and recorded a conversation with Avila-Torrez, during which he admitted to the murders. In late 2010, he was convicted on multiple charges, receiving five life sentences for the rapes and kidnappings.

In 2014, he was sentenced to death for the murder of Amanda Snell. Meanwhile, he was extradited to Illinois to face trial for the murders of Laura Hobbs and Krystal Tobias. In 2018, he pled guilty to their murders in exchange for a prison transfer and received a sentence of 100 years. Jorge Avila-Torrez was being held in federal prison, awaiting his execution when he became one of 37 individuals whose death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by President Joe Biden on December 23, 2024.