Tom Dula was born on June 23, 1844, in Wilkes County, North Carolina. He grew up in a poor family in the Appalachian hills. He was likely the youngest of three brothers and had one younger sister named Eliza. As a child, Tom went to school and played with neighborhood children, including Anne Foster and her cousins, Laura and Pauline.

As they grew older, Tom and Anne developed a close relationship. When Anne was 14 and Tom was 12, her mother discovered them in bed together. This was the beginning of a complicated relationship that would follow them into adulthood.

In March 1862, just a few months before his 18th birthday, Tom enlisted in the Confederate Army. He served as a private in Company K of the 42nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment. During the war, he faced hardships, including being captured at one point. After the war ended in April 1865, Tom returned home to his family.

Despite the poverty he grew up in, Tom was literate and even wrote a 15-page account of his life. He also played the fiddle and was known among his friends as a "ladies' man." Tom's brothers served in the war as well, but both died, leaving him as his mother's only surviving son.

On May 25, 1866, Laura Foster left her home on her father’s horse to meet Thomas C. Dula. She was never seen alive again. Laura was later found dead, buried in a shallow grave in Wilkes County, North Carolina. Her body showed signs of having been stabbed once in the chest.

After Laura’s disappearance, several stories emerged that linked Dula to her murder. Rumors suggested that Dula’s romantic involvement with both Laura and her cousin, Anne Foster, led to jealousy and betrayal. Some accounts claimed that Anne Melton might have killed Laura due to jealousy. Dula reportedly suspected Anne of the crime but still cared for her enough to take the blame himself. A local woman testified that Anne had led her to the grave to ensure it was hidden.

During the trial, witnesses recalled Dula’s angry statement about seeking revenge against the person who gave him syphilis. They believed he thought Laura had infected him, which he then passed on to Anne. A local doctor confirmed that Dula, Anne, and another relative, Pauline Foster, had all received treatment for the disease.

Dula fled the area before Laura's body was discovered. He traveled under the name Tom Hall and briefly worked in Tennessee before being recognized and arrested. Once captured, Dula maintained his innocence throughout the trial. He was defended pro bono by former North Carolina Governor Zebulon Vance, who argued that Dula could not get a fair trial in Wilkes County. The trial was moved to Statesville, but Dula was still convicted. Despite an appeal, he was found guilty again.

Anne Melton was acquitted based on Dula's testimony, and his supposed accomplice, Jack Keaton, was released. On May 1, 1868, Dula stood on the gallows and proclaimed, “Gentlemen, I did not harm a single hair on that fair lady's head,” before being executed by hanging.

Years later, in 2001, residents of North Wilkesboro petitioned for Dula to receive a posthumous pardon. However, no action was taken regarding the request. Although some claimed he was unofficially acquitted of all charges, this did not hold any legal standing.