Victor Harry Feguer was born on June 10, 1935, in St. Johns, Michigan. Details about his early life are limited, but he was known to be a drifter, moving from place to place without stable employment or residence. In the summer of 1960, Feguer arrived in Dubuque, Iowa, and rented a room at a boarding house. Soon after, he began contacting physicians listed in the local Yellow Pages, seeking one who would respond to his call for medical assistance.

On July 11, 1960, Feguer contacted Dr. Edward Bartels, a 34-year-old physician, under the pretense that a woman required urgent medical attention. When Dr. Bartels arrived, Feguer kidnapped him and drove across state lines into Illinois. There, he shot Dr. Bartels in the head and disposed of his body in a cornfield. Feguer's motive was believed to be the acquisition of drugs that Dr. Bartels might have carried for patient care.

A few days later, Feguer was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, after attempting to sell Dr. Bartels' car without proper documentation. The buyer became suspicious and alerted the authorities, leading to Feguer's apprehension.

Because the crime involved crossing state lines, it fell under federal jurisdiction. Feguer was tried in federal court, convicted of kidnapping resulting in death, and sentenced to death by hanging. Despite appeals and a plea for clemency supported by Iowa's governor, President John F. Kennedy denied the request, citing the brutality of the crime.

On March 15, 1963, Feguer was executed at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison. His last meal was a single olive with the pit still in it, symbolizing a hope for peace. He was the last person executed in Iowa and the last federal inmate executed in the United States until 2001.