[2] Between 1976 and 1982, Day was repeatedly arrested and incarcerated for various offenses including heroin possession, theft, kidnapping and writing bad checks, successfully escaping on one occasion.

Through these activities, he became friendly with 36-year-old security worker Thomas Frederick Fortunato, a veteran employee of 14 years who was assigned to the center's C-43 ward, which was notorious for housing violent inmates.

As per Day's instructions, Fortunato drove to Toledo, Ohio and rented a car there, which he left in front of a General Motors factory's parking lot.

After driving her around for some time and narrowly avoiding arrest by a traffic police officer, Day stopped the car and informed Strobel that he intended to tie her up.

[8] Day then travelled cross-country until he eventually reached San Antonio, Texas, where he met 76-year-old Roberto Arzapalo-Alcoser, a retired Mexican mechanic en route to celebrate Christmas with his daughters, who lived in California.

[10] After they reached Tucson, Day lured Arzapalo-Alcoser to the back of the bus station, where he beat up the elderly man, slamming his body into a nearby metal transformer, before he stole the pouch, leaving him with only $40 in cash and his passport.

[8] After spending Christmas entertaining a group of Taiwanese college students in San Diego, treating them with visits to the zoo and a holiday dinner, Day returned to the East Coast, finding himself in Marianna, Florida in early January.

[10] On January 6, he passed through Fort Stockton, Texas, where he beat and stabbed to death a woman named Billie Taylor, whose body he left beside the road.

[14] In an exclusive interview with The Nashville Banner, Day admitted to all of the murders, but claimed that he was high on drugs and drunk at the time, rendering him unable to control his actions.

[15] Fearing that his client would face the death penalty if he remained in Texas, Day's attorney, John Smith, announced that he would not appeal Tennessee's extradition request, as they had indicated they would pursue a life term instead.

[16] Upon his arrival there, Day's attorneys requested a change of venue to a neighboring county, claiming that the extensive coverage of the Strobel murder in Nashville would prejudice the jurors.

In response to this, Justice Walter Kurtz expressed skepticism, saying that the attorney's claims of it reaching publicity heights like those of Sam Sheppard or Billie Sol Estes were simply ridiculous.

[18] After a two-week long trial, Day was convicted on all counts, but as the jury were unable to come to a unanimous decision on his sentence, he was automatically given three life terms without the chance of parole.