Stanley Tookie Williams III was born on December 29, 1953, in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was abandoned by his father at the age of one and moved with his mother to South Central Los Angeles in 1959. Growing up in poverty and under the care of a hardworking single mother, Williams found himself on the streets at a young age. He quickly became immersed in the tough environment of South Central, where he was exposed to petty hustlers, dogfights, and street brawls. This chaotic atmosphere played a crucial role in shaping his early life and hardened persona.

Williams earned a reputation as a formidable street fighter in his teens. His aggressive demeanor and willingness to confront even the most dangerous gangs led him to be feared and respected across South Los Angeles. After multiple school expulsions and early run-ins with law enforcement, Williams was incarcerated in juvenile facilities where he discovered a passion for bodybuilding.

In 1971, Williams, now physically imposing and already a notorious figure, met Raymond Washington. Together, they formed the Crips, a powerful street gang aimed initially at protecting the Black community but which quickly evolved into a violent and infamous criminal network. Williams became the leader of the West Side Crips and was deeply involved in expanding the gang's influence.

Stanley Tookie Williams was convicted of four murders that took place during two separate armed robbery incidents in 1979. According to the prosecution, the first set of events occurred on February 28, 1979. That evening, Williams allegedly met with an associate identified only as "Darryl," and later joined up with two other men, Alfred "Blackie" Coward and Bernard "Whitie" Trudeau. After briefly visiting a residence where Williams retrieved a 12-gauge shotgun, the group traveled to several locations to discuss potential robbery targets.

They first stopped at a Stop-N-Go market. Two of the men entered the store but left without committing the robbery. Their next target was a 7-Eleven store located on Whittier Boulevard in Whittier, California. At approximately 7:42 PM, store clerk Albert Lewis Owens was sweeping the parking lot when the group approached. Owens put down his broom and dustpan and entered the store to serve the men. According to testimony, Williams entered the store shortly after and ordered Owens at gunpoint to walk to a back storage room. Once there, he ordered Owens to lie face-down on the floor. Williams then chambered a round in the shotgun, fired at a security monitor, and shot Owens twice in the back at close range. Owens died instantly. The group fled after taking cash from the register. This act of violence was described as methodical and cold-blooded, and became a central part of the prosecution’s case.

The second incident occurred on March 11, 1979, at the Brookhaven Motel in South Central Los Angeles. At approximately 5:00 AM, Williams allegedly entered the motel lobby and broke through a door leading to the private office. Inside were the motel owners, 65-year-old Yen-Yi Yang and his 62-year-old wife, Tsai-Shai Chen Yang, as well as their daughter, 43-year-old Yu-Chin Yang Lin. Williams opened fire on all three victims using his shotgun. Forensic experts later confirmed that each victim was shot at close range. Yen-Yi sustained fatal wounds to the arm and chest, Tsai-Shai was shot in the tailbone and abdomen, and Yu-Chin was shot in the face. Williams then emptied the motel's cash register and fled the scene. The victims' son, Robert Yang, heard the gunshots and discovered their bodies moments later. The brutality of this second incident significantly influenced the jury's decision to convict.

The forensic evidence, including shell casings found at the crime scenes, was later linked to a shotgun that Williams kept at a friend’s house. Testimony from witnesses and informants further implicated him in the murders. Williams, however, maintained his innocence throughout the trial and during the subsequent decades of appeals. He claimed that the evidence was circumstantial and challenged the credibility of the prosecution's witnesses, many of whom were jailhouse informants with incentives to testify.

In 1981, a jury found Williams guilty of all four murders and sentenced him to death. The conviction was based on the strength of the physical evidence, the testimony of accomplices, and the prosecution’s argument that the crimes were carried out with intent and premeditation. Throughout his time on death row, Williams appealed his conviction on numerous grounds, including ineffective legal counsel, racial bias in jury selection, and alleged prosecutorial misconduct. Despite widespread support from anti-death penalty advocates, civil rights organizations, and celebrities, his appeals were ultimately denied by state and federal courts.

In the final years of his life, Williams gained international attention for his anti-gang activism. He authored a series of children's books warning against gang involvement and participated in media interviews from prison. His transformation from gang leader to advocate for peace and redemption led to multiple Nobel Peace Prize nominations and a global campaign urging clemency. Nevertheless, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger denied the request for clemency on December 12, 2005. Williams was executed the following day by lethal injection at San Quentin State Prison. He was 51 years old.