Louis Craine was born on January 6, 1957, in Los Angeles, California. He was the third child in a family with four children. From an early age, Louis showed signs of intellectual disability. He struggled in school and left after completing the fourth grade. This decision caused conflict between him and his family.

In the early 1970s, Louis moved out of his parents' home. He lived as a vagrant, which means he had no permanent home. Without a skilled job, he worked in low-skilled labor and switched between different construction jobs. By the time he was arrested in 1987, he was unemployed.

Louis Craine was arrested on May 29, 1987, for the murder of Carolyn Barney, a 29-year-old prostitute. Her body was found in an empty house, and she had been raped, sodomized, and strangled. While police were investigating the scene, they noticed Craine watching them and acting strangely. He was taken to the police station, where he confessed to Barney's murder and to killing two other women: Loretta Perry and Vivian Collins.

Craine claimed that his brother Roger had killed Collins after they paid for sex. However, family members provided Roger with an alibi, which led to no charges against him. Craine was later charged with the murders of two more women, Gail Ficklin and Sheila Burton, who were killed on August 15, 1985, and November 18, 1984, respectively. Their bodies were discovered near the locations of the other victims.

Craine's trial began in early 1989. Key evidence included a blood-stained shirt that matched the blood type of one of the victims. Testimony from Craine's family revealed that he had acted aggressively toward prostitutes. Initially, it was believed Loretta Perry died from a drug overdose, but Craine’s confession prompted an exhumation and further investigation, confirming that her death was a murder.

Throughout the trial, Craine maintained his innocence. He claimed his confession was coerced and disputed the ownership of the bloody shirt. His defense argued he had an intellectual disability and requested a psychiatric evaluation, but this request was denied. On May 16, 1989, Craine was found guilty of four murders and sentenced to death.

After his conviction, Craine was moved to San Quentin State Prison. However, health issues led to his transfer to a hospital near San Rafael, where he died on November 3, 1989, due to complications from AIDS.