Thomas Carroll Neal Jr. was born on January 28, 1914, in Evanston, Illinois. He was the youngest of three children in the Neal family. His father, Thomas Neal Sr., was a banker, and his mother, Mayme Neal, was known by her maiden name, Martin. Thomas had two older sisters named Mary Elizabeth and Dorothy Helen. Growing up, the family lived in a spacious ten-room house in Chicago.

Neal attended Lake Forest Academy and later Evanston Township High School. After finishing high school, he enrolled at Northwestern University to study mathematics. While in college, he participated in various sports and even took part in amateur boxing matches. Besides sports, Neal was also involved in the drama club and was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

After one year at Northwestern, Neal decided to leave school and return to Chicago. He began acting in summer stock theater productions. His journey eventually led him to New York City in 1933, where he would later make his Broadway debut.

On April 2, 1965, police were called to the Palm Springs home of Thomas Carroll Neal Jr. by his attorney. They found the body of his wife, Gail Bennett, on the couch. She had a gunshot wound in the back of her head. The shooting occurred on April 1, and it was determined that the gun used was a .45 caliber.

Neal was not at home when the police arrived. He turned himself in to the authorities on April 3. He was quickly identified as a suspect in the case. An indictment for murder was issued against him on April 10.

During his trial, Neal testified that he and Bennett were separated at the time of her death. He claimed that he returned home to see if they could reconcile. Neal said an argument broke out after he accused Bennett of seeing other men. He stated that Bennett pulled out a gun during the fight and aimed it at him. The fight escalated, and he said the gun accidentally discharged, killing her.

Prosecutors sought the death penalty, but a jury convicted Neal of involuntary manslaughter on November 18, 1965. He was sentenced to serve one to fifteen years in prison. Neal ended up serving six years before being released on parole on December 6, 1971.

After his release, Neal returned to working as a landscaper and gardener. He died on August 7, 1972, at the age of 58. His death was ruled as heart failure.