Melvin Wayne White was born on January 25, 1950, in the United States. Very little is documented about his early childhood, but what surfaced later during court proceedings painted a grim picture of a boy who grew into adulthood carrying deeply rooted behavioral problems. Testimony from relatives suggested that his early life included inappropriate sexual behavior long before he ever became a public figure in a criminal case. When he was between ten and twelve years old, he molested a preschool-aged relative, an incident that indicated a pattern of deviant conduct beginning at a young age. These early behaviors were not disclosed to authorities at the time, and White moved into adulthood without ever facing consequences for these acts.

As an adult, White lived in Ozona, Texas, a small and quiet community where neighbors often knew each other by name. On the surface, he blended into the area without attracting unusual attention. He held casual relationships with community members and was familiar enough to be trusted by people living nearby. Behind closed doors, however, White’s personal life was far from ordinary. Evidence later presented in court revealed that White hosted gatherings for local teenagers, supplying alcohol and taking advantage of the environment to grope young girls. These incidents were not reported until after his arrest, but they demonstrated that his predatory behavior existed long before the murder of Jennifer Lee Gravell.

The most disturbing testimony came from his own daughter, who revealed during the penalty phase that White had sexually abused her when she was only twelve years old. She explained that he forced her to perform sexual acts and even attempted to bribe her with money in exchange for continued abuse. This history of molestation, combined with his earlier assault on a young relative, established a lifelong pattern of victimization.

White later blamed alcoholism for his actions, claiming he consumed half a gallon of vodka every three days in addition to whatever he drank in bars. While his addiction may have influenced his behavior, it did not excuse the severity or consistency of the abuse he inflicted on minors. By the time he abducted Jennifer Gravell in 1997, White had built decades of secret and escalating violence that had never been addressed, treated, or legally confronted. The familiarity he enjoyed within the neighborhood, including his proximity to the Gravell home, created the environment that allowed him to victimize a child who trusted him.

On the night of August 4, 1997, Melvin Wayne White kidnapped 9-year-old Jennifer Lee Gravell. Gravell had gone to White's home in Ozona, Texas, looking for someone to take a ride with her. White took her in his truck to a rest area outside of the city. There, he sexually assaulted her, binding her hands with electrical tape and gagging her with a sock when she tried to resist. After the assault, White fled with Gravell as another car arrived at the rest area.

He then took her to another location, where he killed her by striking her head with a tire iron. White disposed of her body behind a water tank in a field outside of town. Witnesses later reported seeing a young girl in White's truck, which led to his arrest.

After his arrest, White quickly confessed to the crime and directed police to Gravell's body. Investigators found evidence at his home, including items belonging to Gravell. He was indicted for capital murder on August 15, 1997, and his trial began two years later. In June 1999, he was found guilty and sentenced to death.

White was held at the Allan B. Polunsky Unit, Texas's death row for men. His sentence was upheld on appeal, and multiple requests for clemency and habeas corpus were denied. During his trial, it was revealed that White had a history of sexual abuse and alcoholism.

On November 3, 2005, Melvin White was executed by lethal injection at the Huntsville Unit in Texas. His final statement expressed sorrow for the pain he caused Gravell's family. He was pronounced dead at 6:21 p.m. and is buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery.