José Paz Bezerra was born on December 12, 1945, in Alagoa Nova, Brazil. He was the son of José Borges Filho and Maria Paz. His early life was challenging. His father had leprosy, and Bezerra had to take care of him. Due to extreme poverty, his mother turned to prostitution. After his father died, the family moved to a favela in Rio de Janeiro. There, his mother began a relationship with a man named Severino. Severino did not like Bezerra and often beat him. His mother eventually ended this relationship. She then moved in with another man named Manuel. Though Manuel was not violent, he still resented Bezerra.

When he was 10 years old, Bezerra ran away from home. He started living on the streets and sold candies at the Central do Brasil train station. Even as a child, he exhibited troubling behaviors. He was known to engage in compulsive masturbation and even drove nails into his arm because he enjoyed seeing blood. During his teenage years, he began to commit minor crimes and was sent to correctional institutions multiple times.

After turning eighteen, Bezerra joined the Brazilian Army but deserted after being accused of petty theft. Following this, there is little information about his life until the late 1960s when he appeared again in São Paulo.

On July 16, 1970, a woman named Iolanda Pacheco tried to take a taxi from Augusta Street. The driver, however, announced he would take her to Morumbi instead. Iolanda managed to escape from the car before anything happened. She reported the incident to the police, but they did not connect her case to other crimes until later.

Just a few days later, police discovered a woman's body in a vacant lot in the Real Parque neighborhood. The victim was found half naked, gagged with her own bra, and had her arms and legs tied. She showed signs of having been strangled. The authorities soon found another body in similar circumstances. These victims were identified as Nilza Alves Cardoso and Vanda Pereira da Silva.

By September 1970, multiple bodies of women began appearing in the Greater São Paulo area. Each victim had similar injuries and was found in vacant lots, naked, gagged, and tied up. The press began calling the perpetrator "The São Paulo Strangler." Several more bodies were found that month, including those of Cleonice Santos Guimarães, Ana Rosa dos Santos, and Wilma Négri.

In October 1970, a woman named Aparecida da Silva Oliveira claimed that her companion, José Paz Bezerra, had confessed to being the "Monster of Morumbi." She reported that he had told her about killing seven women and had displayed violent behavior in the past. The police searched Bezerra’s home and found evidence linking him to the murders, including personal items belonging to the victims.

After fleeing São Paulo, Bezerra ended up in Belém by November 1970, where he resumed his attacks. On December 23, police found the bodies of two women in a vacant lot, one of whom was identified as Maria Teresa Marvão. He continued to attack until September 21, 1971, when police found the body of Anibalina Martins, his last confirmed victim.

Bezerra was arrested on November 12, 1971. He initially gave a false name but was identified as the wanted fugitive shortly after. During questioning, he confessed to 24 murders but was convicted of seven and received a 100-year sentence.

He tried to commit suicide in prison but was unsuccessful. His psychiatric evaluation revealed a deep-seated hatred of women, stemming from his childhood. He was held in the São José Prison and served a maximum of 30 years.

Bezerra was released on November 19, 2001, due to Brazilian law limiting prison terms. Soon after his release, he claimed to have changed during his time in prison. He is believed to be living under a new identity today.