The Smiling Boy in This Photo Grew Up to Become a Notorious Figure in American HistoryFrom Childhood Trauma to Infamy: The Early Life of a Notorious Criminal

Born in El Paso, Texas, in 1960, the youngest of five in a working-class Mexican American family, he appeared like any ordinary child—quiet, shy, and withdrawn. But behind closed doors, his upbringing was marked by violence, fear, and abuse.

By age six, he had suffered multiple head injuries and endured extreme punishments from his father, including being tied to a cemetery cross overnight. His teenage years brought substance abuse, nocturnal hunting in the desert, and disturbing acts of animal cruelty.

At fifteen, a traumatic family incident involving his cousin witnessing a murder shattered the last remnants of his childhood innocence, setting him on a path that would later make him one of America’s most feared criminals.