Ricky Lee Green was born on December 27, 1960, in Fort Worth, Texas. He was one of several children in his family. His father, Bill Green, was known for being very abusive. Ricky and his siblings faced physical abuse at the hands of their father every day. Bill Green used harsh methods, including electro shocks and physical beatings. He would even hold the children underwater during fishing trips until they nearly drowned.

During his childhood, Ricky suffered an accident involving barbed wire. This accident cost him the use of one of his eyes. As a result, he had to get a glass eye to replace it later. Ricky went to school for a while and attended classes until the eighth grade. He eventually dropped out of school and then began working as a radiator repairman.

On March 27, 1985, 16-year-old Jeffery Lynn Davis disappeared in Fort Worth. His body was found in April. It was severely mutilated and nearly decapitated.

On October 12, 1985, Ricky Lee Green picked up 28-year-old Betty Jo Monroe, a dancer, and took her to his mobile home. There, he sexually assaulted and stabbed her 17 times. He also struck her with a hammer. Green left her body in a rural area, and it was discovered the next day.

A month later, on November 23, Green met 27-year-old Sandra Lorraine Bailey at a club. After assaulting her at his home, he stabbed her 30 times and hit her with a hammer. Her body was found on December 2, left in a drainage culvert.

Green's last known murder was on December 29, 1986. He picked up 28-year-old Stephen M. Fefferman at a beach. After a fatal encounter, Fefferman's body was found in his home, bound to his bed and stabbed. Green covered the body with linen, took money from the house, and drove off in Fefferman's car.

Ricky Lee Green was arrested on April 27, 1989, after his ex-wife, Sharon, confessed to a drug counselor. He confessed to four murders while in jail. Authorities investigated a mattress related to a possible fifth victim, but details remained unclear. Green claimed Sharon willingly participated, while she argued she was forced.

In September 1990, Green was sentenced to death for the murder of Fefferman. He received a life sentence for Bailey’s murder and another life term for Davis's case, while charges for Monroe's murder were dropped.

After years of appeals, all were rejected. On October 8, 1997, he was executed by lethal injection in Texas. His last meal included scrambled eggs, sausage, toast, bacon, and milk. During his final statement, he expressed thanks and apologized to victims’ families, stating that his execution would not solve anything.