Adrian Ernest Bayley was born on July 14, 1971, in Australia. His original last name was Edwards. He grew up in a suburb of Melbourne. There is little information available about his family background and childhood. However, it is known that he faced challenges during his early years.

As a young man, Bayley took on various jobs. He worked as a pastry cook and also as a tradesman. These occupations took him through different paths in his life, but specific details about his education or early influences are not widely documented.

Bayley had a troubled personal life and faced various issues as he grew older. Throughout his life, he encountered legal problems and had been in trouble with the law before the events that later defined him. He became known for his violent behavior and had a history of criminal activity.

On September 21, 2012, Jill Meagher left work and went out with coworkers in Brunswick, Melbourne. She left a bar around 1:30 AM on September 22 and started walking home. During this walk, she called her brother briefly. When she did not arrive home, her husband, Tom Meagher, became worried and reported her missing to the police.

The investigation began immediately. On September 24, five days after Jill disappeared, her handbag was found in a laneway near her home. This raised suspicions as that area had already been searched. The police received CCTV footage showing Jill talking to a man in a blue hoodie shortly before her disappearance. This footage became a key piece of evidence.

On September 27, the police arrested Adrian Ernest Bayley, the man from the CCTV footage. During his questioning, he confessed to killing Jill. He explained that he had strangled her in a lane off Hope Street and then buried her nearby. Bayley led the police to her body, which was found later that evening in a shallow grave on Black Hill Road near Gisborne South.

Bayley was charged with rape and murder later that night. His previous record included several sexual offenses, and he was on parole at the time of Jill's murder. After some legal proceedings, he pleaded guilty to both charges on April 5, 2013. He was sentenced to life in prison, with a non-parole period of 35 years, which was later extended due to additional rape convictions.

In following years, he faced multiple trials for other sexual assaults, which were revealed as a result of the publicity surrounding Jill's case. Bayley has been convicted of crimes against twelve victims, and his legal battles continued, including attempts to appeal his sentence and convictions. The significant media attention and public reaction to Jill Meagher's murder led to discussions about safety and legal reform regarding parole laws in Victoria.