Vernon Lee Clark was born on December 28, 1955, in Elkridge, Maryland. He started his education at Elkridge Elementary School, moved on to Waterloo Middle School, and then attended Howard High School. Despite his regular schooling, Vernon often found himself in trouble. He was known by friends and acquaintances for getting into trouble both at school and with the law during his teenage years. He was mostly a loner and preferred to keep to himself.

As Vernon grew older, his issues with the law did not disappear. Instead, they followed him into adulthood. He was convicted of various crimes, including drug possession, burglary, and assault. Despite his criminal record, Vernon managed to find work. In the early 1980s, he got a job as an animal skinner. To make ends meet, he also worked as a day laborer and had a short stint working at C & S Faulkner Inc.

Vernon Lee Clark's first known victim was Rebecca H. "Dolly" Davis, a 70-year-old woman from Elkridge, Maryland. Davis had a rich background in art, having attended Bryn Mawr College and later teaching at The Baldwin School in Pennsylvania. In the 1970s, Clark began doing yard work for Davis. On February 16, 1980, he attacked her with a knife outside her home, sexually assaulted her, and then killed her, hiding her body in the woods. Her body was discovered a week later, causing fear among local women.

Clark continued his violent spree on March 29, 1981, when he attacked and killed 68-year-old Evelyn Dieterich while doing handyman work for her in Catonsville. Despite his brutal actions, Clark remained unsuspected and free for the next few years. On December 29, 1984, he broke into the home of 81-year-old Iva Myrtle Watson in Ellicott City, chased her into the woods, and brutally assaulted and murdered her.

Clark's downfall began on July 4, 1989, when he broke into the apartment of 23-year-old Kathleen Patricia Gouldin. He sexually assaulted her and then shot her with a borrowed shotgun. During the investigation, police found a pizza box near Gouldin's apartment, which led them to a woman Clark had spoken to earlier. Although initially there was no solid evidence linking him to the crime, Clark became a suspect. Eventually, police obtained a search warrant for his home and vehicle. When they attempted to execute it, Clark assaulted the officers and was jailed for assault. While in jail, his DNA was taken and matched to samples found on Gouldin’s body, leading to his arrest on January 26, 1990.

Before his trial, Clark tried to use his drug addiction and claims of racism as defenses. He argued that he was doing drugs with prostitutes on the night of Gouldin's murder. During the trial, there was controversy over whether Gouldin's mother could attend, as she might be called as a witness. Ultimately, the judge agreed she could not attend.

The jury found Clark guilty of murder on April 17, 1991. Although his sentencing was delayed due to an anonymous letter claiming his innocence, Clark was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment.

In 1999, DNA evidence linked Clark to the 1981 murder of Evelyn Dieterich. This led to more DNA testing, and by August 5, 1999, he was charged with the murder of Rebecca Davis. Clark received two additional life sentences in 2001. In 2015, DNA evidence also identified him as the killer of Iva Watson, resulting in yet another life sentence. Clark remains a suspect in several other murders in Howard County dating back to the mid-1970s.