William Joseph Pierce Jr. was born on October 11, 1931, in Midville, Georgia. His family faced financial troubles during the Great Depression, which caused a lot of hardship. Growing up, William often felt hunger and lived in poverty. His mother was strict, and there were frequent arguments between his parents. After they divorced in 1945, William's mother started to physically abuse him, which led to emotional pain for him.

While in school, William took an IQ test and was determined to have an IQ of 70. He struggled academically and dropped out of school after the 9th grade in 1948. After leaving school, he worked as a road worker for the Department of Transport and Road Facilities for a year. Then, he enlisted in the Army. However, he was discharged just three months later due to health reasons, following questionable medical reports his mother provided to the Army.

After returning home, William worked at a local car rental service. He was described as a hard worker but awkward in social situations, making it hard for him to fit in. During this time, he got married, but the marriage ended quickly in divorce. William then moved to nearby Swainsboro and held several low-skill jobs, including one at a furniture factory.

In the late 1950s, William suffered a head injury in an industrial accident that resulted in a concussion. After that, he began to act differently and showed signs of a personality disorder. This included a strong belief in his own superiority and an exaggerated view of his own abilities.

In early 1959, William was arrested for theft. He was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison, but served only 32 months before being paroled in late 1961. Shortly after his release, he was arrested again for robbery and arson. In 1962, he received a 20-year sentence with the possibility of parole after ten years. While in prison, a psychologist noted that he might be dangerous to himself and others. Nevertheless, in May 1970, he was released on parole for good behavior.

In June 1970, William Joseph Pierce Jr. arrived in North Augusta, South Carolina. On June 27, he entered the home of 18-year-old Ann Goodwin, who was babysitting. He assaulted her and shot her. She later died in a local hospital. He also stole valuables from the home.

On December 18, 1970, Pierce was involved in the disappearance of thirteen-year-old Margaret 'Peg' Cuttino. She left her home for lunch but never arrived. Her body was found on December 30, having been beaten and suffocated.

Two days later, on December 20, he went to a gas station in Vidalia, Georgia. There, he shot and killed 59-year-old employee Joe Fletcher and stole $78 from the cash register.

On January 12, 1971, Pierce robbed a store in Soperton. To eliminate witnesses, he shot 51-year-old Lacey Tigpen, the store administrator.

On January 22, he abducted 32-year-old Helen Wilcox near a store in Hazlehurst, took her to the woods, assaulted her, shot her, and buried her in a shallow grave. Her body was discovered days later.

On January 28, he committed another robbery at a store in Baxley. During this crime, he killed 60-year-old store owner Vivian Miles and brutally beat her five-year-old granddaughter, who survived. While escaping, he attempted to kill a truck driver who had spotted him.

Pierce was arrested on March 8, 1971, after robbing a gas station in Baxley. During an interrogation that lasted several hours, he confessed to the murders of Ann Goodwin and Peg Cuttino. He also admitted to several other murders, including the killing of Kathy Jo Anderson and Virginia Carol Mains, among others.

His trial began in September 1971. Evidence included items from his apartment and car that belonged to the victims, as well as the testimony of the truck driver who identified him. Pierce was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

In March 1972, he faced another trial for the murder of Helen Wilcox, where he claimed he had been forced to confess. Despite this, he was again found guilty and received another life sentence.

After being extradited to South Carolina in 1973, Pierce went to court for his other murders and was convicted each time.

In subsequent years, he tried to retract his confession and appealed for a new trial, but his requests were denied. There was a brief claim of a different suspect in the murder of Peg Cuttino, but this did not lead to any changes in his convictions.

William Joseph Pierce Jr. died in May 2020 while serving his multiple life sentences at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison.