Vernon Robert Butts was born on February 8, 1959, in California. He grew up in a troubled household and lost his father when he was only nine years old. Described as quiet, shy, and emotionally unstable, Butts struggled through adolescence and attempted suicide three times. By his early twenties, he developed a reputation as a local eccentric, obsessed with magic tricks, fantasy role-playing, and occult-like “mystery parties.” He had a history of burglary and arson and frequently used drugs and alcohol.

Butts drifted through life with little direction, often spending time in and out of jail. He met William Bonin through mutual acquaintances and quickly became enthralled by Bonin’s dominant personality. Though outwardly living a heterosexual lifestyle, Butts entered a sexual relationship with Bonin and became a willing accomplice to many of his murders.

Vernon Robert Butts became involved in William Bonin’s killing spree shortly after meeting him in 1979. At the time, Butts was a 20-year-old drifter with a troubled past and little direction in life. Bonin, already a repeat sex offender with a violent history, quickly gained control over him. By Bonin’s own admission, he admired Butts for his social confidence, while Butts seemed drawn to Bonin’s dominance. Their relationship soon escalated into a deadly partnership.

Butts was first involved in the May 1979 murder of 13-year-old Thomas Lundgren. He assisted Bonin in abducting and killing the boy, who was found brutally mutilated and strangled. This marked the beginning of a series of sadistic murders that would make headlines across California. Throughout 1979, Butts helped Bonin abduct multiple teenage boys, often posing as friendly adults offering rides. Victims included Mark Shelton, Markus Grabs, Donald Hyden, David Murillo, and Robert Wirostek. Most were bound, beaten, sodomized, tortured with blunt objects, and strangled with ligatures.

In November 1979, an unidentified male victim, referred to as “John Doe,” was killed in a particularly gruesome manner. Bonin claimed that this murder involved inserting an ice pick into the victim’s head after strangulation. Butts was present and assisted in disposing of the body along a freeway.

The killings continued into 1980 with the murder of Darin Kendrick, where Butts poured a sedative down the victim’s throat before Bonin strangled him. They killed Lawrence Sharp and Sean King in May of that year. Butts also participated in the murder of Steven Wells, Bonin’s final known victim, whose body was discarded in a gas station parking lot.

During the spree, Butts reportedly held “mystery parties” where participants searched for macabre clues related to the killings, such as makeshift weapons or murder-related artifacts. Prosecutors later suggested these parties showed Butts’s fascination with death and his growing comfort with violence.

When Bonin was arrested in June 1980, he confessed and implicated Butts as his primary accomplice. Police searched Butts’s Lakewood apartment and found evidence linking him to several murders. Butts admitted to being involved but claimed he acted out of fear, stating, “It was either go, or become the next victim.” Despite this, investigators believed Butts participated willingly and even enjoyed aspects of the torture.

Butts was charged with multiple counts of murder and robbery and faced the death penalty. Before his trial could begin, on January 11, 1981, Butts fashioned a noose from a towel and hanged himself in his jail cell. His death removed a key witness for prosecutors and left unanswered questions about the full extent of his role in the Freeway Killer murders. Authorities, however, concluded that Vernon Butts had been directly involved in at least twelve of Bonin’s known killings and possibly more that were never solved.