Viva Leroy Nash was born on September 10, 1915, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Viva Leroy Nash was involved in a series of serious crimes throughout his life. His criminal activities began at a young age when he was first imprisoned for armed robbery at just 15 years old. Over the years, Nash continued to get into trouble with the law. In 1947, he shot a police officer in Connecticut and received a long prison sentence for that crime. He spent nearly 25 years incarcerated before being released.

In 1977, Nash murdered a postal carrier named David J. Woodhurst, which led to a life sentence in prison. However, in 1982, he escaped from a work crew while he was still imprisoned. Soon after escaping, he went into a coin shop in Phoenix, Arizona, where he shot and killed an employee.

In 1983, Nash was sentenced to death for his crimes. His lawyers argued that he was no longer competent to be executed due to advanced age and health issues. Despite being sentenced to death, Nash never faced execution. He died of natural causes on February 12, 2010, at the age of 94, while still in prison. At the time of his death, he was known as the oldest person on death row in the United States.