Randy William Gay was born on September 1, 1958, in Garland County, Arkansas. His early life was marked by challenges. After his mother failed to abort him, she abandoned Randy and his sisters when they were young. Following their mother's departure, their father, Glen Harold Gay, became abusive. Randy's older sister, Gloria Lindsey, described their father as strict and sometimes violent. Randy faced verbal and physical abuse from him. At just six years old, Randy was sexually abused by older boys.

Gloria left home when she was 15 and got married. Their father remarried, but the new relationship was unstable. Randy often defended his stepmother during conflicts with his father. Gloria later expressed that she understood the circumstances that led to tragic events in the family, including the murder of their father. She also mentioned concerns about Randy's alcoholism. Although she viewed him as a "simple man," she noted that he never sought help for his drinking issues.

Randy married three times. His first marriage was to Sherry Buford. They met in their teens but divorced after the first murder. His second wife was Janice Cochran, a nurse. Janice testified that Randy often became angry when his father made sexual advances towards her. Their relationship was described as volatile, and both struggled with alcoholism. Randy's third marriage was to Debra Anne Powell, which also ended in divorce due to violent conflicts and infidelity. As his drinking worsened, he began to neglect various aspects of his life, leading Gloria to say that he "gave up on a lot of things."

On August 12, 1978, Randy William Gay shot and killed his father-in-law, James Kelly, during a family dispute. He retrieved a shotgun from his car and fired, hitting Kelly in the chest. Witnesses reported the incident, and Randy claimed he acted in self-defense because Kelly had threatened him. Randy agreed to a plea deal for second-degree murder and received a 10-year sentence, but he was paroled after only nine months. Due to violations of his parole, he returned to prison but ultimately served less than two years.

Randy's next crime occurred on May 4, 1991. While camping near the Ouachita River with his second wife, Janice Cochran, his father, Glen Gay, came to visit. An argument broke out between Randy and Glen. After loading his shotgun, Randy locked Janice inside their camping bus. She heard a gunshot and later found Glen injured from a headshot. Instead of calling for help, Randy put Glen's body in a boat, disposed of it in his truck, and refused to discuss the incident with Janice. When questioned by police, the couple denied knowledge of Glen's whereabouts but later confessed. Randy was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison, being paroled in 2000.

Randy faced legal troubles again in 2008 when he threatened store owner John Ward. He received a 12-year suspended sentence for making terroristic threats.

The following murder took place on May 10, 2011, when Randy shot 49-year-old Connie Ann Snow after an argument at a logging site. He ordered her out of his truck, and when she refused, he shot her in the face. He then discarded her body in the Ouachita National Forest. Randy was arrested the next day and faced capital murder charges.

His trial in 2013 ended in mistrial due to juror misconduct, but a retrial in March 2015 resulted in a guilty verdict. The prosecution sought the death penalty, citing Randy's history of previous murders. After deliberation, the jury recommended a death sentence, which the judge formally imposed on March 20, 2015.