Maury Troy Travis was born on October 25, 1965, in St. Louis, Missouri.

Maury Troy Travis was a serial killer known for his brutal crimes in the early 2000s. He was linked to the deaths of at least twelve women, though authorities believed the actual number could be as high as twenty. His victims included Alysia Greenwade and Betty James, whose bodies were discovered in 2001. Greenwade was found in Illinois after being last seen in Missouri, while James was found in Missouri after being last seen in Illinois.

The investigation into Travis’s crimes began when four women were tortured and strangled between May and October 2001. After a newspaper article highlighted one of the victims, Teresa Wilson, Travis sent an anonymous letter to the publication. In the letter, he provided a computer-generated map and claimed that he could reveal the locations of other victims. This map was traced back to him, leading to his arrest on a federal criminal complaint on June 7, 2002.

During the search of Travis's home in Ferguson, Missouri, investigators discovered disturbing evidence. They found a torture chamber with various instruments, newspaper clippings about his crimes, and videotapes showing him killing or abusing some of his victims. Despite acknowledging the murders, some authorities were skeptical about the total number he claimed to have committed.

Travis was being held in a St. Louis County jail when he died by suicide on June 10, 2002. He had been placed on suicide watch, but two consecutive checks by guards were missed, allowing him enough time to take his own life. His death occurred before he could stand trial for his crimes.