Thomas Edward Maupin was born on October 9, 1949, in Louisiana. After his birth, his family moved to Ohio. He grew up in Ohio, but little information is available about his childhood or family life.

From a young age, Maupin began to commit crimes. His early actions included thefts and robberies. As he got older, his criminal behavior escalated, and he was involved in more serious crimes, including sexual assaults and child molestation. These crimes were reported in various states across the country.

Before moving to Spokane, Washington, Maupin had several encounters with law enforcement. He escaped custody on three separate occasions. He was also marked as a fugitive by federal authorities two times, though the details of these incidents are unclear.

On January 25, 1988, Thomas Maupin went to a house party in Spokane, Washington. He met a woman named Tina Fraijo and spent time with her and her two children. The next morning, Tina discovered that her 6-year-old daughter, Tricna Cloy, was missing. Tina suspected Maupin was involved and contacted the police. This led to a large search for Maupin, with local volunteers helping the authorities. Some people searched nearby mountains and found a campsite that seemed to belong to him. At the same time, Maupin was charged for an unrelated sexual assault on a minor.

The search for Tricna continued for months. A reward fund was set up to encourage information about her. Maupin was arrested in Alabama on February 18 for driving a stolen vehicle. Ten days later, he was brought back to Spokane to face charges of child molestation, which he was acquitted of in April. Since he claimed he had nothing to do with Tricna's disappearance, he was released.

On June 9, 1988, children playing at a gravel pit found a skull and hair, which turned out to belong to Tricna. This discovery led detectives to prepare murder charges against Maupin. However, the prosecutor's office advised them to collect more evidence.

Maupin was finally arrested on January 11, 1989. Authorities tracked him down after he called an ex-employer for tax paperwork. His murder trial began in 1990, and the jury found him guilty, sentencing him to 40 years in prison. This ruling was overturned due to errors in the jury's verdict. In May 1992, he was found guilty again, but that ruling was also tossed out in 1996 because a defense witness was not allowed to testify.

By July 1997, at his third trial, evidence emerged that one of the main prosecution witnesses had lied. To avoid a possible acquittal, prosecutors offered a plea deal. Maupin accepted a reduced charge of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but he was released only two weeks later due to good behavior and time served.

In August 2001, Maupin attacked a 31-year-old woman in Memphis, Tennessee. He threatened her and forced her to perform oral sex. He accidentally left behind his dentures at the crime scene, which had his name in them, but this evidence was not initially examined properly.

In early October 2001, Maupin strangled 46-year-old Nancy Carol Alvis after meeting her at a bar. Then, on October 20, he killed 37-year-old Patricia Cook Thornton after a sexual encounter. Her body was found in the same area as Alvis'. Maupin was quickly identified as a suspect, but there was not enough evidence for an arrest.

In 2013, Memphis officials started a project to test old rape kits. In 2017, the rape kit from the earlier attack was tested, leading to a DNA match for Maupin. He was arrested and charged with rape, pleading guilty for a shorter sentence of 8 years in prison.

In 2020, Maupin was linked to the murders of Alvis and Thornton, leading to new charges. Finally, in April 2021, he accepted another plea deal for two counts of voluntary manslaughter. He received a concurrent 12-year sentence, along with the 8 years for the rape. As of December 2022, Maupin was still in prison, with the possibility of parole in 2023.