Walter Hill was born on February 7, 1935, in Midway, Alabama. He grew up in a small town and had a life that included several challenges. Hill later claimed that he was from Jamaica, but this was not accurate according to official records.

In 1952, 17-year-old Walter Hill killed Sam Atmore in Adamsville, Alabama, using a board. Hill pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, where he was sent to Atmore State Prison Farm. He escaped shortly before his transfer but was recaptured. In 1954, during a baseball game at the prison, Hill was one of 20 inmates who escaped by cutting a hole in a fence. They were caught quickly, but three remained missing. Hill was released from prison in 1961.

After his release, Hill enlisted in the Jamaican Army but was dishonorably discharged after nine months. In 1962, he kidnapped Arthur Phillips at gunpoint and transported him across state lines. Hill was convicted of kidnapping and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, resulting in a 25-year prison sentence. While in the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, he fatally stabbed a fellow inmate, leading to a conviction for voluntary manslaughter and an additional five years in prison. He was paroled in 1975.

On January 7, 1977, Hill was in the home of Willie Mae Hammock and her family. After asking Willie for permission to marry her stepdaughter, Toni, and being refused, he followed her and shot her. He then shot her son-in-law, John, and chased down Lois, shooting her as well. All three were shot in the back of the head. Afterward, Hill told Toni, who witnessed the murders, to leave with him. They found Robert, her brother, and forced him to drive them to Georgia. When their car broke down in Villa Rica, Robert managed to escape and report the murders.

After escaping, Hill and Toni met Lewis Nunnery in Decatur, Georgia. They convinced him to help, but Hill forced Nunnery to drive them to South Carolina, where he claimed to be a fugitive. The car eventually broke down in North Carolina. Nunnery fled while Hill was asleep and reported him to the police. Hill was arrested, and officers found the murder weapon in his possession.

Hill initially faced federal charges, but he was indicted for capital murder in Alabama. During the trial, Toni, Robert, and Nunnery testified against him. Hill was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death in October 1977. He won a retrial due to errors in the first trial and was convicted again in August 1979. Despite claims that he was not present during the murders, Hill was resentenced to death several times due to legal complexities surrounding his case.

After exhausting his appeals, Hill was executed in the electric chair at Holman Correctional Facility in Alabama on May 2, 1997. He spent his last hours with his wife and two nieces. Hill's last meal included fried chicken and sweet potatoes. He had no final words but acknowledged one of his nieces before his execution. None of the victims' relatives were present during his death.