Michael Angelo Morales was born on October 17, 1959. He grew up in California in an environment marked by instability, though detailed records of his early childhood are limited. Unlike many serial offenders or repeat violent criminals, Morales’s background was not extensively documented until after his arrest for murder in the early 1980s.

By his early twenties, Morales became entangled in a violent and tragic love triangle involving his cousin, Richard Ortega, a man who was in a secretive same-sex relationship. Ortega allegedly wanted his romantic rival removed so that he could have exclusive relations with his male lover. According to prosecutors, Ortega persuaded Morales to kill 17-year-old Terri Winchell, who had been romantically linked to Ortega’s partner.

Michael Angelo Morales was convicted of murdering Terri Winchell on January 8, 1981. Winchell, who was 17 years old, found herself in a love triangle involving Richard Ortega, a cousin of Morales, and another man. Ortega hired Morales to kill Winchell so that he could have exclusive relations with his male lover.

Prosecutors stated that Morales attacked Winchell from behind and attempted to strangle her with his belt. After that, he struck her head with a hammer, causing her to lose consciousness. Morales then dragged her into a vineyard, where he raped her and stabbed her four times in the chest. Winchell died from both her head wounds and her chest wounds.

During his trial, Morales did not deny the crime he committed. However, his defense team argued that he was high on PCP at the time and that the murder should not be treated as premeditated. They pointed out that he had claimed he would defend Ortega. The prosecution, on the other hand, presented evidence that Morales had gathered tools before the assault and had practiced strangulation on two female acquaintances. They also noted that he confessed to an informant while in jail.

The judge who sentenced Morales, Charles McGrath, later expressed doubts about the informant's testimony. The informant had claimed that Morales confessed to him in Spanish, despite Morales not speaking the language. McGrath sought clemency for Morales from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. While in prison, Morales stated that he found God and expressed regret for his actions.

In early 2006, lead defense attorney David Senior enlisted former special prosecutor Kenneth Starr to assist with appeals. Just before Morales' scheduled execution, Senior filed documents claiming that some jurors had doubts about sentencing him to death. However, prosecutors claimed these documents were forgeries, and the defense team withdrew them. Although clemency was ultimately denied, the falsified documents were not used as a reason for the denial. The activist involved was later charged for her actions and served five years in prison.

Morales' execution was initially set for February 21, 2006, but it was postponed. Two court-appointed anesthesiologists withdrew from the procedure. They cited ethical reasons, as they had been ordered to intervene if Morales showed signs of pain. California then planned to proceed with a lethal injection of barbiturates, but a judge ruled that only a licensed medical professional could administer the drugs. This created a situation where no medical personnel were willing to carry out the execution. As a result, the death warrant for Morales lapsed, and it would need to be re-issued by the original trial judge, Charles McGrath, who had since indicated he no longer believed in the original testimony against Morales.