Brittany Norwood was born in 1982 in Federal Way, Washington. She was an accomplished soccer player during her high school years, earning recognition on Seattle Times All-League Teams. Norwood continued her athletic career at Stony Brook University in New York, where she played as a defender for the women's soccer team. She was named Defensive Most Valuable Player and received conference honors in 2001. Her coach praised her competitive spirit, noting, "Brittany hates losing more than she likes winning." ​

Despite her athletic achievements, some former teammates and acquaintances reported concerns about her behavior, alleging instances of dishonesty and theft. One former teammate described her as having a reputation as "a liar and a thief." ​

On March 11, 2011, Brittany Norwood and her coworker, Jayna Troxel Murray, closed the Lululemon Athletica store in Bethesda, Maryland, where they both worked. Shortly after leaving, Norwood contacted Murray, claiming she had left her wallet in the store and requested to be let back in. Once inside, an altercation ensued, during which Norwood attacked Murray, inflicting over 300 injuries using various weapons, including a hammer, knife, merchandise peg, and box cutter. Murray's injuries were so severe that her spinal cord was severed. ​

After the attack, Norwood attempted to stage the scene to appear as a robbery and assault by intruders. She inflicted superficial wounds on herself, bound her own wrists and ankles with zip ties, and claimed that two masked men had entered the store, attacked both women, and sexually assaulted them. However, investigators found inconsistencies in her account and evidence that contradicted her story, including the absence of signs of forced entry and the discovery of men's size 14 shoe prints inside the store, which matched shoes kept within the store. ​

Norwood was arrested on March 18, 2011, and charged with first-degree murder. During the trial, it was revealed that Murray had confronted Norwood about suspected shoplifting prior to the attack. On November 2, 2011, Norwood was found guilty of first-degree murder, and on January 27, 2012, she was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. ​