Brydon Brandt was born on April 15, 1964, in Welkom, South Africa. He was the sixth of seven children in his family. Brandt claimed that his mother had mental health issues, which included depression. He also stated that she breastfed him until he was nine years old. His father was reportedly a violent man who encouraged his sons to fight. As the youngest son, Brydon often struggled in these fights. His father’s discipline included tying the children to a chair and beating them with a sjambok. This abuse extended to his mother as well.

When Brydon was ten years old, he said that his second oldest brother began to molest him. He also claimed that his oldest brother forced their younger siblings to engage in incest with their sisters. The family was isolated, not allowing the children to make friends outside the home. Eventually, the Department of Welfare intervened and removed several of the children from the household due to the abuse.

After being removed, Brydon was sent to an industrial school. While there, he claimed that he was sodomized by other boys. He also got into trouble for assaulting a teacher. Following the industrial school, he completed grade ten and joined the South African National Defense Force, where he served in the Military Police. This role involved supervising other soldiers and dealing with disciplinary issues.

By 1984, Brydon was twenty years old and unemployed. In March of that year, he was arrested for a crime and received a suspended sentence. Later that year, he faced additional trouble for stealing jewelry and was caned. In 1986, he was fined for stealing a bicycle. After moving to Port Elizabeth in 1987 with a brother, he quickly found himself in trouble again for hitting someone with a brick. He continued to get in trouble with the law, receiving fines for various offenses, including breaking a mirror in a hotel room and drunk driving.

On December 9, 1989, Brydon Brandt met Jean Natlazo, a prostitute, at Palmerston Nightclub. After they talked, they went to a municipal building where they engaged in sex. Following the encounter, they argued about payment. Brandt became angry and stabbed Natlazo fatally. The next day, her body was found on the stairs of the building, naked below the waist. An autopsy revealed severe lacerations indicating possible sexual assault.

On January 5, 1990, Brandt met Sarie Schoeman and two other prostitutes at the Station Bar. After spending time together, he drove them to a roadside table. Brandt decided to take Schoeman with him, leaving the other women behind. He drove to a secluded area where he assaulted Schoeman and then struck her on the head with a rock, killing her. The other two women saw him drive away alone, and later found Schoeman's body hidden in the bushes. They did not report the murder. Brandt later returned, disturbed that the body had been disturbed, and moved it further into the woods. Schoeman's body was eventually discovered by homeless people.

In 1991, Brandt committed a burglary, nearly killing the homeowner. He was convicted of housebreaking and attempted murder and served five years in prison before being released in 1996. He relocated to the Eastern Cape, where he became a bodyguard for a doctor. Brandt later claimed he had to refuse orders to assassinate people. He took in a woman named Julia and her boyfriend as roommates but soon kicked out the boyfriend. In December 1996, after a drunken argument with Julia, Brandt claimed she died from a fall. However, he likely strangled her, then disposed of her body in a green bin bag.

By September 1997, Brandt had moved again and became roommates with Clinton Dean Morris. On September 17, 1997, they argued over money, which led to Brandt strangling Morris to death. He then cut up the mattress and disposed of it along with Morris’ body in a dustbin. Other residents found Morris' body shortly after and contacted the police. Brandt was arrested nearby, wearing bloodstained clothes.

After his arrest, Brandt confessed to Morris' murder and to the three others, including the murder of a prostitute in 1996. He received four life sentences after pleading guilty to all the murders in May 1999.