Shawn Michael Grate was born on August 8, 1976, in Marion, Ohio, to parents Terry Grate and Theresa McFarland. As a child, he enjoyed playing softball and football in his backyard and spent time with other kids in the neighborhood. His parents, Terry and Theresa, got married in 1974 and had two children, with Shawn being the younger one, born in 1976.

In school, Shawn faced many challenges and had to repeat kindergarten and first grade. Despite his academic struggles, he was known for being charming and friendly. One of his former female friends mentioned that "all the girls liked Shawn." However, his family life took a turn when his parents divorced on August 6, 1982, just two days before his sixth birthday.

When Shawn was 11, his mother left the family in Ohio to live with a man in Kentucky. This event deeply upset Shawn, as he did not get along with his mother's boyfriends. He stayed with his father for the next four years. While living with his dad, Shawn attended River Valley High School, where he was a talented baseball player. Unfortunately, he had to stop playing after breaking his arm, which required surgery due to a tumor. His half-sister recalled that Shawn had a difficult relationship with his mother from a young age.

A high school girlfriend remembered Shawn as someone who would sometimes lie on the couch "for days" before acting normally again. A court psychiatrist described Shawn as a "kind of a depressed kid," attributing his condition to "neglect and emotional detachment" during his childhood. On June 28, 1994, custody of Shawn and his brother was given to their father, Terry. Later that year, on November 24, 1994, Shawn was arrested for grabbing his girlfriend by the throat.

Shawn graduated from River Valley High School in 1995. However, he got into trouble with the law again on October 23, 1996, when he broke into a house in Marion County with a juvenile accomplice to steal jewelry and money. In January 1997, he was charged with felony burglary and sentenced to four years in prison, though he was released early in October 1997.

Shawn Michael Grate was arrested after a woman he had kidnapped managed to call 911. She had been held captive for three days in an Ashland, Ohio house, where Grate had bound her to a bed and assaulted her. The police arrived in time to rescue her safely. Grate claimed he did not intend to kill her and even suggested they were going to get married. 

This woman, referred to as "Jane Doe" to protect her identity, first met Grate at the Ashland Salvation Army in the summer of 2016. They spent time together, sharing meals, talking about the Bible, and even playing tennis. Despite Grate's attempts to make their relationship sexual, she kept it platonic and did not share her phone number with him.

On September 11, 2016, Grate convinced Doe to go to a house on Covert Court to pick up some clothes. While she was reading the Bible in his room, his behavior suddenly changed. He grabbed the Bible from her and told her she wasn't going anywhere. When she tried to resist, he beat and strangled her. Over the next three days, he tied her up in painful positions and assaulted her, leaving her with numerous injuries.

Grate's arrest led to the discovery of several other victims. Stacey Stanley, also known as Stacey Hicks, was reported missing a week before Grate's arrest, and her body was found in the same house where Doe was rescued. Elizabeth Griffith had been missing for about a month, and her body was also found in the house. Both women were determined to have been strangled.

Grate also directed police to the body of Candice Cunningham, found in Richland County behind a burned-down house. Additionally, the investigation into Rebekah Leicy's death was reopened based on Grate's confession. Leicy's death was initially ruled an overdose, but Grate claimed he strangled her after she stole money from him.

Grate admitted to killing Dana Lowrey, whose body was found in Marion County in 2007. She remained unidentified for many years until DNA analysis confirmed her identity in 2019.

In court, Grate faced numerous charges, including aggravated murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault. He was represented by court-appointed attorney Rolf Whitney, who entered a not-guilty plea on Grate's behalf. Despite his claims, a competency hearing found him fit to stand trial, and he was ultimately found guilty of multiple murders and sentenced to death. Grate's death sentence was upheld on appeal, and he is scheduled to be executed in 2025.