Michael McGay Reeves was born on July 22, 1962, in Marion, Virginia. Little is known about his early life or upbringing. In the mid-1980s, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. He was sent to serve in Craven County, North Carolina.

On February 6, 1989, Michael McGay Reeves broke into the home of Susan Thomas Toler, a 27-year-old woman living in Ernul, North Carolina. He attacked her, leading to her death. Two months later, on April 16, the body of Barbara Jean Hagy was found near a mountain road. She had gone missing the day before after leaving her home to attend a party.

On July 6, the body of Betty Ann Shumate was discovered near her workplace in Virginia. She had been stabbed several times. Authorities initially arrested her estranged husband based on circumstantial evidence.

Following Shumate's murder, Reeves attempted suicide by shooting himself in the left shoulder. After he was taken to the hospital, concerns arose about his possible connection to Shumate’s disappearance, but these were not pursued at that time.

On October 13, Reeves raped a woman in Virginia and attempted to kill her. Days later, he attacked another woman in a hotel, tying her up and raping her. He was arrested on October 19, 1989, and charged with multiple counts related to these rapes.

As authorities investigated Reeves more closely, they linked him to the previous murders in North Carolina and Virginia. After further evidence emerged, including a pistol identified as the murder weapon in Toler’s case, he faced charges for her murder.

In following trials, Reeves was convicted of the rapes and murder. He was sentenced to death for the murder of Susan Toler. He was later charged with the murder of Barbara Jean Hagy in 1993, but this case was not brought to trial due to a legal deal between governors of the states involved. As of January 2025, Reeves remains on death row in North Carolina, awaiting execution.