Steven W. Shelton was born on July 11, 1965, in Delaware, United States.

On January 11, 1992, Steven W. Shelton, his brother Nelson Shelton, Jack Outten, and Christine Gibbons spent the day drinking beer in Newark, Delaware. After finishing about one and a half cases of beer, they drove to a tavern in Wilmington. While there, they hatched a plan for Gibbons to pose as a prostitute to lure men so they could rob them.

They continued to drink at the tavern. At one point, a patron approached Outten to talk about drugs. The four of them left the tavern with the patron to exchange money for drugs. Later, they went to another bar, where Nelson and Gibbons argued, leading to Nelson punching her during the disagreement.

As they moved to another bar that night, they settled their argument. Gibbons then started talking to Wilson Mannon, who was also drinking. They danced together while the Shelton brothers and Outten played pool. After midnight, Outten called his girlfriend to ask for a ride, but she did not come to get him.

After the bar closed, Mannon and the group agreed to leave together. Nelson drove them to a deserted area where Mannon's body was later found. He had suffered severe head injuries, and multiple signs of violence were present around his body.

The next day, Gibbons confessed to a social worker about the events of the previous night. She claimed that the Shelton brothers and Outten had taken turns beating Mannon to death while laughing. The three men were arrested that same day and charged with first-degree murder. It was also revealed that after the murder, Nelson had attacked a woman and her son under the pretense of car repairs.

During the investigation, Gibbons gave multiple accounts of the murder, sometimes implicating different people. She stated that the group used an object found on the roadside to kill Mannon and stole items from him afterward. They attempted to cover their tracks by washing their clothes and cleaning up after themselves once they returned home.

Following a series of legal proceedings, the prosecution sought death sentences for all three men. Gibbons testified against them, although her statements varied. The trial found them all guilty of first-degree murder, indicating their heinous actions had continuously emerged throughout the case. On March 5, 1993, the jury recommended death sentences for Steven, Nelson, and Outten. They were formally sentenced to death on April 30, 1993.

Over the years, the two Shelton brothers and Outten filed numerous appeals. In 2011, Steven and Outten entered guilty pleas to second-degree murder, which resulted in their sentences being significantly reduced. At this point, both admitted their roles as accomplices, and Steven donated a kidney to his mother during the process before she passed away. Nelson Shelton ultimately faced execution on March 17, 1995, admitting responsibility for the murder prior to his death.