Lee Roy Martin was born on April 25, 1937, in Gaffney, South Carolina.

On May 20, 1967, Annie Lucille Dedmond was murdered. She had been strangled and raped. Annie's husband, Roger Dedmond, was arrested and convicted of her murder, receiving an 18-year prison sentence.

Nine months later, in February 1968, Nancy Carol Parris was abducted. Nancy's husband reported her missing when she did not return after taking their dog for a walk. Her nude body was later discovered on a riverbank beneath a bridge. She had also been strangled and raped. On the same day, Nancy Christine Rhinehart, a 14-year-old girl, was killed. Her body was found buried under a brush pile, and she too had been strangled and raped.

On February 8, 1968, Lee Roy Martin anonymously called Bill Gibbons, the editor of The Gaffney Ledger. Martin directed Gibbons to the locations of the bodies of Nancy Parris and Nancy Rhinehart. He claimed responsibility for Annie Dedmond's murder and insisted that her husband was innocent. Four days later, Martin contacted Gibbons again, warning that more killings would happen.

On February 13, 1968, 15-year-old Opal Dianne Buckson was abducted while walking to a school bus stop. Her sister witnessed the event and gave a description of the vehicle involved. Following an investigation, police found Opal's nude body in a wooded area nearby days later. Evidence showed signs of a struggle, and she had been strangled and stabbed.

Martin was arrested on February 27, 1968. He provided evidence and directed authorities to the bodies of the victims. However, he was not given adequate legal counsel, which affected the severity of his charges. Martin was convicted of first-degree murder for the deaths of Annie Dedmond, Nancy Parris, Nancy Rhinehart, and Opal Buckson. He received four life sentences in prison.

After Martin's arrest, Roger Dedmond was released on March 1, 1968, and all charges against him concerning his wife's murder were dropped. While many believed Martin targeted young women, he later claimed he had a split personality, with a violent side that took control.

On May 31, 1972, Lee Roy Martin was stabbed to death by another inmate while incarcerated at Central Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina. The inmate, Kenneth Marshall Rumsey, later took his own life in prison.