William Devin Howell was born on February 11, 1970, in the United States. Very little information has been made public about Howell’s childhood, family background, or formative years, but what is clear is that he lived a transient lifestyle during his adulthood. He was known to travel across multiple states and often stayed in motels and temporary housing.

William Devin Howell was involved in a series of crimes in 2003 that led to the deaths of seven women, including one transgender woman, Janice Roberts. The victims, all from different backgrounds, went missing throughout the year. Their remains were later discovered in two main locations, notably behind a shopping plaza on Hartford Road in New Britain, which Howell referred to as his "garden." The discovery of these bodies began in 2005, with skeletal remains found as the area was difficult to access for investigation.

The identified victims included:

- Melanie Ruth Camilini, a 29-year-old mother from Seymour, who disappeared on January 1, 2003. She was last seen with two men and had a history of substance abuse. Her body was found in 2015.

- Janice Roberts, a 44-year-old transgender woman, who was last seen on June 18, 2003, getting into Howell's blue van. She was reported missing later that month, and Howell admitted to strangling her.

- Diane Cusack, a 55-year-old woman from New Britain, who vanished in mid-2003. Her remains were found in 2007, and she was identified in 2011.

- Nilsa Arizmendi, who was last seen on July 25, 2003. Her disappearance led to Howell being investigated in 2004, and her remains were found in 2015.

- Marilyn Gonzalez, a 26-year-old mother of two, was reported missing in 2003. Her body was uncovered in 2015 behind the WestFarms shopping mall.

- Joyvaline Martinez, a 23-year-old woman, went missing on October 10, 2003. Her remains were found in 2007 and identified in 2013.

- Mary Jane Menard, a 40-year-old mother and former addict, disappeared in October 2003. Her remains were identified in 2007.

The investigation into Howell began when he became a suspect in Arizmendi's case. Police seized his van in North Carolina and found blood from two people on the floor. DNA tests confirmed that one of the blood samples belonged to Arizmendi. Howell later entered an Alford plea to first-degree manslaughter in January 2007, leading to a 15-year prison sentence.

The discovery of more remains occurred weeks later, with bodies of some of the other victims found behind the WestFarms shopping mall. Howell was later charged with multiple murder counts. On November 17, 2017, he received additional sentences for six murders, resulting in a total of 360 years in prison.