Dámaso Rodríguez Martín was born on December 11, 1944, in Las Montañas, a small village in El Batán, located in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. He was the son of Martín Rodríguez Silveria and Celestina Martín Perdomo. Dámaso had four brothers, and his family faced significant financial struggles. Despite their poverty, his parents worked hard to provide him with a good education.

From a young age, Dámaso started to engage in criminal behavior. By the time he was 17 years old, he was accused of theft and arrested. After spending a year in detention, he was released in September 1963. Following his release, he decided to join the Spanish Legion and was deployed to Western Sahara. In 1966, he completed his training and graduated from the Legion.

After finishing his time in the military, Dámaso returned to Tenerife. In 1967, he married Mercedes Martín Rodríguez. The couple settled in a place known as El Peladero in the village of Las Mercedes, located in San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Over the years, they welcomed two children into their family; their first child was born in 1973, followed by a second child in 1975.

Dámaso Rodríguez Martín committed his first murder on November 11, 1981. He killed a young man in a Mazda who was with his girlfriend in the area of El Moquinal. After the murder, he assaulted the girl while her boyfriend's body was in the vehicle. He later drove them to "Llano de los Viejos," where he abandoned the bodies.

Police began investigating a "night stalker" in the area. All evidence pointed to Rodríguez, who was known as "El Brujo." He was sentenced to 55 years in prison for his crimes, including murder and rape. However, he escaped from prison on January 17, 1991, and went into hiding in the Anaga mountains.

Rodríguez initially planned to kill his wife, who had distanced herself from him. He could not do it because she was with family and friends. Instead, he waited for another opportunity. On January 23, 1991, the body of German tourist Karl Flick was discovered in the woods. The next day, his wife's body was found with signs of strangulation.

In the following days, rumors spread about Rodríguez. People feared he could appear disguised during the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. On February 19, 1991, a family that had moved to the area found their door forced open and called the police. The officers determined that Rodríguez was inside the house.

When the police attempted to enter, Rodríguez shot at them with a shotgun. During the exchange of gunfire, he tried to end his own life by shooting himself under the chin with the shotgun but initially survived. A second confrontation occurred, and he successfully killed himself during that encounter.