Deangelo Martin was born on May 30, 1985, in Detroit, Michigan. Growing up in a challenging environment, he became entangled in criminal activities at an early age. In 1998, his mother, Chantrienes Barker, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the kidnapping and murder of Antoine Caruthers. Following her arrest, Martin was raised by his father.

He attended Kettering High School and graduated in 2003. Unconfirmed reports suggest that he enrolled at Wayne University after high school but did not complete his studies. After his father's death, Martin moved in with his paternal grandparents. He struggled to find steady employment, leading to financial hardships.

In February 2018, Martin enticed Annette Nelson, 57, to an abandoned house on Winthrop Street, where he raped and strangled her. Her body was found on February 26 by a homeless man who moved her to the sidewalk. Initially, the homeless man was charged with her murder, but CCTV footage later proved his innocence.

In March 2019, Martin encountered 52-year-old Nancy Harrison. After using drugs together, he led her to another abandoned house, where he raped and bludgeoned her to death. Her body was discovered on March 19, 2019. Later that year, in April, Martin raped and murdered 52-year-old Travesyn Ellis after luring her to yet another abandoned home. Her decomposed body was found on May 24, 2019.

On May 6, 2019, Martin met a 26-year-old woman at a drug den and invited her to his residence, where he raped and stabbed her in the neck. The victim fought back, alerting Martin's grandmother, who called the police. Martin escaped before the police arrived and was subsequently put on a wanted list.

On June 3, 2019, Martin attempted to rape another woman in an abandoned house. The victim defended herself, stabbing him multiple times. He fled the scene and later murdered 55-year-old Tamara Jones, whose body was found in another abandoned building. Martin posed his victims in humiliating positions and left used condoms at the crime scenes, stealing a sock from each victim.

Arrest Deangelo Martin was arrested at a Detroit bus stop on June 7, 2019. He was charged with assault and attempted murder related to the May 6 attack. After the second surviving victim identified him, police collected blood and saliva samples from Martin, which linked him to the four murders. Authorities searched over 3,000 abandoned houses in Detroit for more potential victims. Martin also became a suspect in several other murders, including that of Deborah Reynolds, who was last seen with Martin at a 7-Eleven in December 2018. Her body was later discovered in a vacant home.

In December 2019, Martin's lawyers requested a psychological examination, which determined he was sane and could be held criminally liable. His trial began on August 20, 2020. In September 2022, Martin accepted a plea deal, agreeing to plead guilty to four counts of murder and two counts of rape, resulting in a sentence of 45–70 years in prison instead of life imprisonment. He was sentenced on October 6, 2022, and is currently incarcerated at the Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility.