The girl in this story, born in 1956 in Rochester, Michigan, had a profoundly troubled childhood that foreshadowed her later life of crime. Her father was imprisoned for kidnapping and assaulting a young girl and later died by suicide in prison.

She was left in the care of her maternal grandparents, whose abusive and neglectful behavior added further trauma. Her grandmother struggled with alcoholism, and her grandfather allegedly subjected her to physical and sexual abuse. By the age of 14, she became pregnant as a result of sexual abuse, possibly involving her brother.

She gave birth to a son but placed him for adoption to give him a better life.

After her grandmother passed away, she dropped out of school and turned to prostitution to survive. Her adolescence was marked by repeated brushes with the law, including arrests for theft, assault, and other petty crimes.

Her criminal activities escalated over time, eventually leading her to Florida, where she committed armed robbery and continued to struggle with severe mental health issues. She attempted suicide multiple times during her teenage years and early adulthood.