Born on November 24, 1938, in Lincoln, Nebraska, Charles Raymond Starkweather grew up in a respectable working-class family. Despite his stable home life, Starkweather's school years were marred by bullying due to a mild birth defect and a speech impediment. He channeled his frustration into gym class, where he discovered physical prowess that he used to intimidate others. Starkweather's life took a dark turn as he developed a fixation on James Dean and adopted a nihilistic worldview, culminating in a brutal series of crimes. His relationship with Caril Ann Fugate, a teenage girl he met in 1956, marked the beginning of a murderous spree that left 11 people dead, leading to his eventual capture and execution in 1959.