Joseph Martin Danks was born on June 17, 1962, in Bay City, Michigan. His birth came from a relationship between Edward White, who was 42 years old, and his 17-year-old nanny, Karen. Although the White family was wealthy, Edward's older children, including Joseph's half-brothers, experienced poverty. Their father struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism, which affected their upbringing. Joseph's mother also drank alcohol during her pregnancy, leading to his premature birth. He was born two months early, weighing just two kilograms, and spent four weeks in an incubator.

After Joseph was born, both of his parents continued to abuse alcohol. His mother often struggled to care for him, and the housekeeper looked after him instead. There were claims that his parents sedated him to keep him quiet, but his mother denied this. In early 1964, Joseph's father physically abused his mother, which led her to leave with Joseph.

In 1966, Karen married Leroy Danks, who adopted Joseph. The family moved away from Michigan to South Dakota and then again to Wyoming. They had two more sons together. However, the family had issues, and Leroy left in December 1970. Afterward, Karen married Jean Walls. Joseph returned to Bay City with his mother and stepfather in 1976, where he reconnected with his biological father and half-brothers.

By then, Edward White had lost everything due to his lifestyle. The family lived in a trailer and used drugs. In 1977, Joseph suffered two traffic accidents, getting a head injury in one. After he was treated, he began showing signs of mental illness. In 1978, he was arrested for drug possession in Mexico but faced only a minor penalty.

Joseph left school and became a vagrant, hitchhiking from city to city. During this time, his mental health worsened. He believed he was being watched and accused his family of trying to poison him, causing him to refuse food prepared in the house. He also claimed to hear voices and believed he was in contact with his deceased grandparents. Meanwhile, Joseph relied on money from his mother, suspecting her of being involved in crime.

In October 1982, Joseph appeared at an elementary school in New Jersey, wearing torn clothes, and was taken to a police station. After returning to Michigan, he showed more signs of distress and committed various petty offenses. This led to his confinement in a mental hospital, from which he escaped after two weeks. He was later found in Florida.

Joseph was released in early 1984 and went back to live with his mother. Leroy tried to bond with him by offering him a job, but Joseph's mental health continued to decline. By 1985, he was again hitchhiking around the country. In 1986, he briefly lived with his half-brother Peter, who had changed his lifestyle after prison.

In June 1986, Joseph was arrested for illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun. In jail, he displayed obsessive-compulsive behavior, cleaning his cell repeatedly. He pleaded guilty to attempted theft in September and received probation. After his release, he left Michigan for California at the end of 1986.

Following his arrival in Los Angeles, Joseph Danks began killing homeless men in the Koreatown neighborhood. His first victim was 40-year-old Christopher Michael Forsblade, whom he stabbed to death on January 6. Eight days later, Danks committed a double murder. He first stabbed 58-year-old Isaac Davis and then attacked 55-year-old John Charles Coble less than three hours later, inflicting several fatal stabs.

Two days after that, Danks killed again by stabbing a homeless man on West 8th. This man, estimated to be around 43, has never been identified. The next day, he attacked 64-year-old Almond Lord on South Kenmore Avenue. Lord resisted, and Danks fled. He survived and later provided a description of Danks to the police.

On January 20, Danks attempted to kill 58-year-old James Lyons, who survived. Later that same day, Danks killed another homeless man in his 50s on South Western Avenue. This last victim's identity was also never established. During this murder, a witness saw Danks and chased him for five blocks before calling the police.

The morning after, police cornered Danks in an alley. He surrendered without resistance. Before his arrest, he tried to dispose of a kitchen knife used in the murders by wrapping it in a newspaper and throwing it away, but police found it during their search. Once at the station, Danks renounced his rights and confessed to the six killings. His arrest came with a press conference held by Police Chief Daryl Gates. The knife he used matched the wounds of the victims, providing further evidence against him.

Danks also claimed to have stabbed a homeless man named Edwin Trujillo on Christmas Day, but police could not confirm this. He stated that his motive was a personal hatred of people he saw as "dirty, filthy bums."

In March 1988, he rejected a plea deal. During his trial, he showed signs of paranoia and claimed his prison food was poisoned. He later attacked his lawyer with a makeshift weapon. In December 1988, Danks accepted a plea deal and was convicted of the six murders, receiving a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 156 years.

Due to his mental health issues, he was transferred to Atascadero State Hospital, where he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. After his mental condition improved, he was transferred back to serve his sentence in a correctional institution.

On September 21, 1990, Danks claimed he had killed his cellmate, 67-year-old Walter Holt. He admitted to strangling Holt with a sheet and said he did it to have a cell to himself. He feigned insanity, claiming divine voices ordered him to kill, but the court did not believe him. While waiting for his trial, Danks engaged in various criminal acts in the institution. He became increasingly violent, attacking staff and other inmates.

In April 1993, Danks pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to death. He expressed no remorse and claimed he was "doing God's work." After this, he was moved to death row at San Quentin State Prison. Over time, Danks's mental health worsened, leading to insomnia, hallucinations, and more violent behavior. Despite his struggles, he received little treatment until 2011. In 2004, his lawyers attempted to overturn his death sentence due to alleged juror misconduct, but the appeal was dismissed.

As of now, Danks remains in San Quentin State Prison.