Lesley Eugene Warren was born on October 15, 1967, in Candler, North Carolina. He was the older of two sons to Douglas Eugene Warren and Phyllis West. At a very young age, Lesley began to show signs of antisocial behavior. When he was three years old, he was diagnosed with autism. As a child, he had a hard time making emotional connections with people, and his struggles became more pronounced after the birth of his brother, Laron Ray, in 1970.

After Laron was born, the family faced financial challenges. Doug Warren, Lesley's father, started to physically abuse his family during this time. In 1971, he set fire to their trailer, which nearly harmed his wife and one of the boys. Following this dangerous event, Phyllis divorced Douglas and moved in with family, taking the children with her. Douglas continued to stalk and harass Phyllis, which led to her receiving full custody of Lesley and Laron, along with a restraining order against her ex-husband.

In September 1974, Lesley began attending Emma Elementary School in Candler. He often had conflicts with his classmates and was frequently referred to the school psychologist. Lesley had little interest in his education and did not take part in sports, making it difficult for him to fit in with other students. By 1981, he switched to Erwin High School. Around this time, conflicts with his mother increased, leading to stress that affected his studies. After discussions about his behavior, the school psychologist recommended psychotherapy for him.

By late 1981, Lesley’s mental health started to decline. He began to spend time with petty criminals and got involved in burglary, drug use, and violence. In January 1982, Lesley was arrested for vandalism and expelled from school. He was sent to Broughton Hospital for a psychological evaluation. There, he was diagnosed with a schizoid personality disorder and received treatment, which was said to help him and he was discharged afterward.

He then enrolled at Enka High School in September 1982 but was expelled shortly after for not attending classes. In October 1982, Phyllis found marijuana in his room. Following an argument about it, she kicked him out of the house for the night. The next day, when he returned home, Lesley abducted their neighbor, Betty Pressley, and took her to the basement. 

On May 15, 1987, Warren murdered 20-year-old Patsy Diane Vineyard, the wife of one of his Army colleagues at Fort Drum. After beginning an affair with her while her husband was away, he sexually assaulted and strangled her. He then disposed of her body in the Black River, and it was later discovered floating in Lake Ontario.

On August 26, 1988, Warren encountered 42-year-old Velma Faye Gray after her car was involved in a traffic accident. Offering help, he lured her into his truck and drove her to a wooded area. There, he beat and strangled her, later disposing of the body in Lake Bowen.

Warren then began a relationship with 39-year-old Jayme Denise Hurley, a counselor at the Juvenile Evaluation Center. After a night of drug use on May 24, 1990, he assaulted and strangled her. He later confessed the crime to his brother, who helped bury her body in a remote area of Pisgah National Forest.

On July 16, 1990, Warren met 21-year-old Katherine Nowell Johnson at a picnic. After spending time together, they took a ride on his motorcycle. In an abandoned location, he raped and killed her by strangling her with her bra. He then hid her body in her own car.

Warren was arrested on July 21, 1990, after police were tipped off by his brother. He admitted responsibility for the murders and also claimed to have committed four other murders. After his arrest, he faced multiple trials for his crimes. He was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Velma Gray and received the death penalty for the murders of Hurley and Johnson.