Lester Ford was born on February 11, 1963, in St. Albans, a neighborhood in Queens, New York. He was part of a large family, growing up with five siblings. 

In 1979, at the age of sixteen, Lester was arrested after a failed drug deal. This event marked a significant turning point in his life. He was sent to prison for ten years due to this crime. After serving his time, he was released in 1989. After his release, he returned to St. Albans and tried to live a quiet life. During this time, the neighbors began to call him "Justice."

On January 6, 1991, Sheilda Dixon, a 36-year-old mother, was attacked by Lester Ford after dropping off a friend at a church in Hollis Park. Ford taped her mouth shut and strangled her, then left her body at Peters Park baseball field. It was discovered on January 24. On February 23, he strangled 28-year-old Tracy Covington outside her home. This led the police to investigate the killings, as they noticed similarities between the two cases.

On July 4, 1991, Ford raped a 16-year-old girl in St. Albans but did not kill her. Later, on July 24, he targeted Sabrina Fost, a 20-year-old who was eight months pregnant. He attacked her while she was walking to a bus stop, raping her and shooting her in the face. Although she survived long enough to deliver her baby, she succumbed to her injuries later that day. The day after attacking Fost, Ford raped another woman but did not kill her.

Ford was arrested on July 26, 1991, after one of the rape victims identified him. He faced charges for the three murders as well as the rapes. After his arrest, his girlfriend threatened one of the surviving victims, which led to her arrest as well. In March 1992, Ford took a plea agreement, confessing to his crimes. He was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison and has been at Elmira Correctional Facility since then.