Crawford grew up in Chicago in the early 1960s. His father left the family shortly after his birth, leaving him and his sister under the care of their mother. However, his mother was later prosecuted for neglectful parenting, leading to Crawford and his sister being placed in a foster family with other children. Crawford claimed he suffered beatings from his foster parents and endured sexual abuse from family members. He also mentioned running away as a teenager to seek out his biological mother's relatives, who allegedly abused him and forced him into prostitution. 

Despite his claims, his sister, adoptive parents, and other relatives denied these allegations. Crawford's adoptive father revealed that his son developed a drug addiction in the mid-1970s, prompting him to drop out of school at the age of 17. In the early 1980s, Crawford joined the Army and later the Navy, but struggled with drug use throughout his military service. His addiction hindered his performance, leading to disciplinary actions and ultimately a dishonorable discharge. 

Upon returning to Chicago, Crawford lived in destitution for several years, battling drug addiction and heavy drinking. He held various low-skilled jobs and resided in abandoned houses, homeless shelters, and friends' homes due to housing issues. In his free time, Crawford frequented the red-light district, socializing with prostitutes and pimps. While many of his acquaintances spoke positively of him, Crawford faced multiple arrests and legal issues between March 1993 and November 1999, primarily related to theft and drug possession. 

In 1999, he was convicted but received a suspended sentence with probation, during which his aggressive behavior towards women became evident. On May 3, 1995, he was arrested for assault and rape, spending over a year in Cook County Jail awaiting trial. However, the charges were eventually dropped as the victim refused to cooperate with investigators and her credibility was questioned due to drug addiction.

Andre Crawford targeted Black girls and women in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood, often choosing those involved in prostitution or addicted to drugs. He lured these women to abandoned houses or wastelands, pretending to share crack cocaine or offering money for sex. Once they were alone, Crawford either strangled or stabbed his victims to death. After killing them, he left the bodies at the scene but would return later to perform sexual acts on the corpses. 

His known victims included Evandrey Harris, Patricia Dunn, Rhonda King, Angel Shatteen, Shaquanta Langley, Sonja Brandon, Nicole Townsend, Cheryl Cross, Tommie Dennis, Sheryl Johnson, and Constance Bailey. He attacked another woman on Thanksgiving in 1997, but she survived.

Crawford was arrested on January 28, 2000, after a DNA test linked him to seven murders. During questioning, he admitted to three more killings and several attacks where the victims survived. These surviving victims confirmed his identity. Crawford showed no remorse, admitting that killing had become like an addiction for him. Surprisingly, before his arrest, he had been helping the police with their investigation by distributing leaflets and participating in surveillance activities.

He was charged with 11 counts of murder, sexual offenses, and one count of attempted murder. During his confessions, Crawford admitted to killing Rhonda King, a crime another serial killer, Hubert Geralds, had been convicted of. The Cook County Prosecutor's Office decided to overturn Geralds' conviction for King's murder, though he remained imprisoned for other crimes confirmed by DNA evidence.

Crawford's trial faced many delays due to judicial errors, a moratorium on the death penalty, and numerous court motions. This resulted in Crawford spending almost ten years in Cook County Jail, the longest of any inmate in Illinois history. 

On December 10, 2009, he was found guilty of all charges and sentenced to life in prison without parole. He was imprisoned at Menard Correctional Center and died of liver cancer on March 18, 2017, just before his 55th birthday.