Ward Francis Weaver III was born on April 6, 1963, in Humboldt County, California. His parents were Trish and Ward Weaver Jr. In 1967, when Ward was just four years old, his father left the family. A few years later, his mother married Bob Budrow, who was known to be an abusive alcoholic. This new family situation caused them to move to Portland, Oregon.

As a teenager, Ward began to show antisocial behavior. Reports state that by the age of 12, he was involved in the physical and sexual abuse of at least one family member. He also had a difficult relationship with his half-brother, Robert Budrow, who claimed that Ward often beat him during their childhood.

In 1981, a young relative accused Ward of repeatedly raping and beating her. Authorities looked into these allegations, but charges were not pursued since he had joined the armed services and was leaving Portland soon after. Ward graduated from Marshall High School in Portland shortly before he enlisted in the US Navy Reserve.

Ward's time in the Navy was short. He was discharged on May 17, 1982, due to heavy drinking and failing to meet his duties. While in the Navy, he met Maria Stout, who was from the Philippines. After they got married in 1984, they initially lived with Ward's parents. Soon after, Maria became pregnant. Unfortunately, during her pregnancy, Ward physically assaulted her, resulting in her hospitalization, but she chose not to press charges.

Their first child, Francis, was born in December 1982, although it was later revealed that he was not Ward's biological son. In addition to his troubles at home, Ward's father was imprisoned in 1984 for committing a double murder.

In 2002, Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis disappeared in Oregon City, Oregon. Ashley went missing on January 9, 2002, after leaving her apartment to walk to the bus stop. Miranda vanished two months later, on March 8, 2002, under similar circumstances. Both girls were friends and attended the same school and dance class. Their disappearances sparked significant concern and media coverage.

After Ashley's disappearance, friends and family formed search parties. A fundraiser was planned in hopes of finding her. Meanwhile, there were concerns that both girls might have run away, but law enforcement suspected foul play. On August 13, 2002, Weaver's stepson reported that Weaver had attempted to rape his girlfriend, which led to an investigation. Police arrested Weaver, and during the investigation, they obtained a warrant to search his property.

The FBI began searching Weaver's home on August 24, 2002. They discovered Miranda's remains in a storage shed. The next day, they found Ashley's remains beneath a concrete slab in Weaver's backyard. Her body was stored inside a 55-gallon barrel. The girls' deaths were confirmed, and their remains were identified.

In October 2002, Weaver was charged with six counts of aggravated murder, among other offenses. He was held until his trial. On September 2, 2004, Weaver pleaded guilty and received a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. His case received national attention, leading to discussions about handling similar cases in the future.