Todd Alan Reed was born as Todd Alan Thomas on May 22, 1967, in Portland, Oregon. His parents were Ronnie Thomas and Alfred Thomas, a Marine sergeant. They married just nine days before Todd was born. Todd had an older brother, and the family faced hardships that led to the parents' divorce in 1971. After the divorce, Todd's mother, Ronnie, remarried Robert Reed. Robert adopted Todd and his brother, but this marriage also ended in divorce when Todd was 12 years old.

Todd's life took a troubling turn at a young age. By the time he was 14, he was already a registered sex offender. He was put into a residential program for his offenses. However, because he was not seen as a danger, he was released after some time. As he grew older, he met Gail Bennett in 1986. They married in 1988 and had two children together. However, their marriage ended in divorce in 1997, which resulted in Todd being ordered to pay child support and granted visitation rights.

For a time, Todd worked at Rinella Produce. There, he was thought of as a hardworking employee who caused no problems. Despite his job and family responsibilities, a darker trend began occurring in the city. Several homeless women started disappearing during the time he worked there.

Todd Alan Reed is known for his crimes in Oregon during the late 1990s. He murdered three women between April and June 1999. These victims were Lilla Faye Moler, Stephanie Lynn Russell, and Alexandria Nicole Ison.

Lilla Faye Moler was 28 years old when she went missing in April 1999. Her body was discovered on May 7, hidden under tree branches and leaves. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled. DNA from a condom was found near her remains.

Stephanie Lynn Russell, 26 years old, was also a homeless woman and a friend of Moler. Her body was located by police while they searched in the area where Moler’s body was found. Russell's body was discarded not far from Moler’s. Like Moler, she showed signs of sexual assault and strangulation. Authorities believed she died shortly before her body was discovered.

Alexandria Nicole Ison was only 17 years old. She was a transient runaway and went missing in May 1999. Her body was found on June 2 by a hiker in Forest Park. Ison had also been sexually assaulted and strangled. Her body was placed down a steep hill, about a quarter-mile from the other two victims.

In addition to these confirmed killings, Reed is also suspected of being involved in the disappearances of two girls in Gresham in 1987, Jennifer Lynn Tchir and Mindi Coleen Thomas. Both girls were last seen with Reed's girlfriend at the time. Their remains were found years later, both cases determined to be homicides.

Reed was arrested on July 18, 1999. A police officer posed as a prostitute to catch him. Reed was observed stalking her and was recognized from a previous crime record. After his DNA matched the evidence from the crime scenes, he was charged with the murders.

In 2001, Reed pleaded guilty to the three murders to avoid the death penalty. He received three life sentences without the possibility of parole. Though he was questioned about the 1987 Gresham murders, he has never been charged in those cases. As of June 2020, Todd Alan Reed is incarcerated in New Jersey State Prison.