Edmund Plancis, known later as Bandali Michael Debs, was born on July 18, 1953, in Narre Warren, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. He had a brother who, in a 2003 newspaper report, claimed that they experienced torture as children, but there is no solid evidence to support this statement.

Debs became a tiler as an adult and fathered five children. His youngest son, Joseph, tragically died from a suspected drug overdose in December 2003 at a house in Greensborough, Victoria.

On August 16, 1998, Bandali Michael Debs was involved in the murders of two Victoria Police officers, Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller, in Moorabbin, Victoria. This event led to his conviction in February 2003. Debs received two consecutive life sentences with no possibility of parole for these crimes.

Debs was later charged with the murder of Kristy Mary Harty, a teenager who was killed on June 17, 1997. Police charged him on June 20, 2005. Harty was found dead in a bush area in Upper Beaconsfield, Victoria, with a gunshot wound to the back of her head. DNA evidence linked Debs to the case, and in May 2007, he was convicted of her murder. He was given a third consecutive life sentence during the sentencing.

In April 1995, Donna Anne Hicks was shot and killed in Western Sydney. She had been socializing at a local hotel and got into a vehicle that matched one registered to Debs. After DNA analysis connected him to the case, he was interviewed by police in 2008. On December 12, 2011, Debs was convicted of Hicks' murder and sentenced to a fourth consecutive life term. During a hearing in 2022, he admitted to killing Hicks.

While in prison, Debs has participated in psychology sessions, computer training, and life skills programs. He reportedly works as a carpet cleaner within the facility. Despite his cooperation in some rehabilitation activities, authorities remain firm that Debs is not eligible for parole due to the extreme brutality and premeditation of his crimes.