Nathaniel Harvey was born on March 21, 1950, in Camden, New Jersey. 

On October 16, 1978, Nathaniel Harvey followed a 24-year-old woman home in Monroe Township, Middlesex County. Once at her house, he asked about her family's jobs. When she went inside, he followed her and attacked her. He raped and beat her, but she escaped through a rear window and sought help from a neighbor. Harvey turned himself in on October 20 after the victim identified him. He faced several charges and was convicted of four in March 1979, receiving a sentence of 15 to 20 years in prison. He was released on parole in early 1983.

On February 26, 1984, Donna Macho, a 19-year-old woman, disappeared from her home in East Windsor. Her car was found several miles away with blood on the passenger seat, indicating she had likely been murdered. Investigators believed she was taken from her home and forced to drive to a different location. Evidence of sexual assault was found in her bedroom. On April 2, 1995, a scout troop discovered her skeletal remains in Cranbury, along with some clothing and jewelry. Dental records confirmed the remains were Macho's.

Irene Schnaps, a 37-year-old woman, was found dead in her apartment on June 17, 1985. A coworker discovered her body when she did not show up for work. An investigation revealed she had been sexually assaulted and beaten to death. A bloody sneaker print was found at the scene. Harvey was arrested on October 28, 1985, after trying to kidnap a 13-year-old girl. Police found a watch in his vehicle that matched one stolen from Schnaps' apartment, and a sneaker print from his vehicle matched the one found at her crime scene.

Harvey's trial began on September 30, 1986. The prosecution claimed he had confessed to murdering Schnaps, although he later denied it. The jury found him guilty on all counts on October 10, and he was sentenced to death a week later. In 1991, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that his confession should not have been used as evidence, leading to a new trial. In October 1994, he was retried and again sentenced to death.

In 2007, New Jersey abolished the death penalty, and Harvey's sentence was commuted to life in prison. He appealed his conviction in 2015 and received another new trial in 2017. He passed away on November 27, 2020, while waiting for his third trial. In April 2023, DNA evidence linked him to the murder of Donna Macho.