Wilbur Lee Jennings was born on February 28, 1940, in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Wilbur Lee Jennings was charged with multiple murders in California. His trial began in 1986 for the murders of four women. The prosecution presented evidence that included a baseball bat and a pipe, which were believed to be used in the killings. Many witnesses testified during the trial, including family members of the victims and people who knew Jennings. Jennings insisted that he was innocent and claimed that the prosecutor pressured witnesses to lie against him.

On November 20, 1986, Jennings was convicted on all counts and received the death penalty. He was then sent to San Quentin State Prison to await execution. In October 2005, DNA testing linked him to two more murders. One was of 76-year-old Clarice Reinke, who was killed in June 1983, and the other was 17-year-old Debra Chandler, murdered in July 1981. Both victims had their bodies found in irrigation ditches near Fresno.

During the investigation of Reinke's murder, authorities discovered another man's DNA at the scene, which connected to a different case. Jennings continued to deny his involvement, claiming that the DNA results were faked. Over the years, he faced health issues, battling prostate cancer and diabetes. His trial for the murders of Reinke and Chandler was delayed multiple times because of his declining health.

The trial for Debra Chandler's murder finally started in late 2013. Jennings was moved from San Quentin to the Sacramento County Jail due to the ongoing legal proceedings. He passed away on February 11, 2014, at the age of 73, from complications related to his health problems.