Debra Brown was born on November 11, 1962. She was one of eleven children in her family. Growing up, she faced several challenges. She was diagnosed as borderline intellectually disabled and suffered from head trauma as a child. Because of her conditions, she was also identified as having a dependent personality disorder by a psychiatrist.

In her early life, Debra was engaged to another man when she first met Alton Coleman in 1983. Shortly after they met, she made the choice to leave her family and move in with him. Prior to her relationship with Coleman, she had no history of violence or any criminal behavior. 

Debra Brown was involved in a series of violent crimes across multiple states in 1984. Her first known murder occurred on May 29, 1984, when she and her partner, Alton Coleman, abducted a 9-year-old girl named Vernita Wheat in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Vernita's body was found weeks later, on June 19, showing signs of sexual assault and strangulation.

In June 1984, Brown and Coleman moved to Indiana, where they encountered two young girls, Annie and Tamika Turks. While Annie survived the attack, Tamika did not; her body was discovered shortly after. That same month, they also kidnapped Donna Williams, a 25-year-old woman. Her body was found later in Detroit, showing the same signs of violence.

As they continued their spree, they moved to Ohio in July and committed more murders. In Toledo, they killed Virginia Temple and her daughter Rachelle, both of whom were later discovered strangled. In Norwood, Ohio, they attacked a couple, Harry and Marlene Walters. Marlene was beaten to death, while Harry survived to testify against them.

The couple then committed a kidnapping of a college professor, Oline Carmical, before fleeing to Kentucky and then back to Illinois. They were eventually arrested in Evanston, Illinois, on July 20, 1984, thanks to a tip from someone who recognized Coleman.

Both Brown and Coleman faced trial for their crimes. They were convicted of multiple counts of murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault. Coleman received the death penalty, while Brown's sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment due to her mental health issues and the nature of her relationship with Coleman.