Joshua Julius Anderson was born on June 17, 1987. Not much is known about his early childhood. When he was 15, he got in trouble for shooting with intent to kill, but the charges were dropped. In June 2005, he faced charges for kidnapping, possessing stolen property, and domestic assault. He pleaded guilty to kidnapping and assault, resulting in a 90-day jail sentence. A month later, he was charged with another shooting, but this case was also dismissed due to weak witness testimony.

Joshua Anderson began his killing spree in late 2006. His first known victim was Evaristo Tovias Jr., who was looking for drugs when he encountered Anderson and his brother. During an argument, Joshua shot Tovias with a shotgun, killing him.

In January 2007, Anderson killed Christopher Moderow, another man seeking drugs. After an argument, Anderson shot Moderow with a .22-caliber revolver and robbed him. On the same day, Anderson was seen shooting David Gilbert in an act of revenge, although there was not enough evidence to charge him with this crime.

On February 2, 2007, Anderson targeted Herbert Hobbs and his mother, Rosemary. He tied them up, robbed them, and then forced them to perform degrading acts before shooting them both. He then set their house on fire to cover up the crime.

Anderson was arrested later that same day. He confessed to the murders after being shown a tape of his brother blaming him. His trial for the Hobbs murders began in October 2008, resulting in a guilty verdict and two life sentences plus 25 years for arson. In December 2008, he pleaded guilty to the murders of Tovias and Moderow, receiving two more life sentences and an additional 10 years.