Alexander Alekseevich Labutkin was born in 1910 in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire. In the late 1920s, he worked as a gunsmith at the Krasnoznamyonets arms factory. In 1930, while attempting to remove a tree stump using pyroxylin, he suffered a premature explosion that resulted in the loss of his right hand. This injury ended his career as a gunner, leading him to take a position as a steam conductor at the Okhta Combine in Leningrad. Known for his passion for fashion, Labutkin often dressed in dark jackets and wide-brimmed hats, projecting an air of importance. His fascination with firearms persisted, and through a friend at his former workplace, he acquired a revolver and ammunition.

Labutkin's series of murders began on August 30, 1933. Disguised as a mushroom picker, he ventured into the forest near the Prigorodny village's powder plants, armed with a gun. There, he encountered two men and three women, shooting them without provocation. Four victims died instantly, while the fifth succumbed to injuries later in the hospital, unable to provide any information about the assailant. The bullets used were crafted by Labutkin's acquaintance from ball bearing components. ​

On December 2, 1933, Labutkin struck again in the same forest, killing two individuals and taking insignificant items from the scene. His next attack occurred on April 11, 1934, when he ambushed and shot an elderly locksmith, stealing money, tools, and even extracting gold crowns from the victim's teeth. Labutkin's crimes were sporadic, with months between attacks. On November 13, 1934, he murdered a birdwatcher, taking a cage with captured birds. On January 11, 1935, within a two-hour span, he killed two married couples walking in the woods. A month later, on February 17, 1935, he murdered a lone worker. In his final known attack on March 18, 1935, Labutkin, with the assistance of his wife Maria, targeted a couple. The man was killed, but the woman survived and identified Labutkin, leading to his capture. ​

Following his arrest between March and April 1935, Labutkin confessed to 12 murders. Several individuals, including his wife, were arrested on suspicion of concealing his crimes. In the summer of 1935, after a brief trial, the Special Council of the NKVD sentenced Labutkin to death, and he was executed by firing squad later that year. The other defendants received long-term prison sentences.