Alexander Nikolayevich Spesivtsev was born on March 1, 1970. He grew up in an apartment on Pionerskiy Prospekt in Novokuznetsk, which is the largest city in the Kemerovo Oblast of the Soviet Union. He was an underweight baby and had many health problems as a child. Because of this, people often considered him fragile.

Alexander was unsocial and did not make friends easily. He faced bullying at school, which made his childhood difficult. His mother, Lyudmila Spesivtseva, was very caring. She worked at a nearby school and the prosecutor's office. Although she was affectionate, their family life was troubled. Alexander's father was an alcoholic who often abused his family and eventually left them.

Alexander had a strong but unusual bond with his mother. She had a strange interest in crime and death. From an early age, she showed him photographs of dead bodies from books about crimes. Due to this, the two of them shared a bed until Alexander was 12 years old. As he grew older, he began to show strange behaviors and sadistic tendencies.

In 1988, Alexander began dating his first girlfriend. He initially appeared to be sensitive and poetic. They enjoyed time together. However, their relationship became strained, leading to arguments. When she decided to end the relationship, Alexander did not take it well. He kidnapped her and tortured her for a month until she died from an infection.

Because of this, when he was just 18 years old, he was sent to the Oryol Special Psychiatric Hospital for treatment. While in this hospital, he was kept under strict supervision. Officially, he was still receiving treatment when he was discharged, but he later developed a dislike for street children and young women, which would eventually impact his future actions.

In 1991, Alexander Spesivtsev began a pattern of violent crimes targeting vulnerable young people. He, along with his mother Lyudmila, lured street children and young women into their apartment in Novokuznetsk. The victims were chosen at random, often catching them off guard. Once inside, Alexander would torture and then kill them. There were even reports of cannibalism involved in some of the killings.

After the crimes, Lyudmila would help dispose of the bodies by dumping the remains into the Aba River. The first signs of their actions emerged when severed heads and body parts of children were discovered along the riverbanks. Initially, investigators did not suspect a serial killer. Instead, they believed organ smugglers were responsible for the disappearances of unattended children.

As time passed, several groups of children went missing, raising alarms and leading police to suspect a serial murderer active in the city. Despite ongoing investigations, detectives were distracted by other criminal activities in the area. It was not until witness statements about the disappearances linked back to Alexander's family that the investigation focused on him.

On October 27, 1996, police investigated his apartment after receiving complaints about a foul odor. They found shocking evidence, including the body of a woman who had been severely injured and dismembered. Alexander managed to escape but was later located and arrested a few days later. His mother was also apprehended shortly before him.

During the investigation, police discovered a diary that outlined some of Alexander's crimes. He confessed to 20 murders, although the evidence suggested he could be responsible for many more. When police searched his apartment, they found numerous items belonging to the victims, including bloody clothing and pieces of jewelry.

Alexander was deemed insane by the court and was committed to a psychiatric hospital. His mother received a prison sentence for her involvement in the crimes. Today, Alexander remains in a medical facility, while his mother serves her sentence for complicity in the murders.