Keli Lane was born on March 21, 1975, in Fairlight, New South Wales, Australia. She is the daughter of Sandra Lane, a former hospital worker, and Robert Lane, a retired police officer. Keli grew up in a family connected to the community, with her father working in law enforcement. She attended Mackellar Girls High School in Manly, where she might have developed a strong drive and ambition.

After finishing high school, Lane enrolled at the University of Newcastle to pursue an arts degree. However, she dropped out before completing her studies. Instead, she began working part-time at Ravenswood School for Girls, where she served as a water polo coach. Keli's dedication to sports grew, and she later became the sports convener at the school. The yearbook of Ravenswood School noted her as a qualified teacher with honors.

Keli was a talented athlete. She played water polo at both national and international levels. In 1995, she was part of the Australian Junior Women's team that won a silver medal at the World Championships held in Quebec, Canada. Remarkably, she competed in these championships only a few months after giving birth to her first child, whom she gave up for adoption.

During the period between 1994 and 1998, Keli was in a relationship with Duncan Gillies, a rugby union player. Their relationship lasted several years but ended without marriage. Keli's life during this time was marked by her athletics and personal challenges. She faced various experiences regarding motherhood, including multiple pregnancies.

Over seven years in the 1990s, Keli became pregnant five times. The first two pregnancies ended in termination, while she placed the third and fifth babies up for adoption. The fourth pregnancy involved the birth of Tegan Lee Lane on September 12, 1996.

Keli Lane was accused of the murder of her newborn baby, Tegan Lee Lane. The case began when Lane gave birth on September 12, 1996, at Auburn Hospital. Less than two days later, she left the hospital with Tegan and returned to her parents' home alone. That same day, she attended a friend's wedding, and there was no mention of Tegan at the event.

In the following years, questions arose about Lane's past pregnancies. Investigations revealed she had given birth multiple times but had concealed these pregnancies from her friends and family. In late 1999, authorities began investigating Tegan's whereabouts after Lane mentioned she had given the baby to a man named Andrew Norris.

In 2005, a coronial inquest started to look into Tegan's disappearance. The coroner concluded that Tegan was likely deceased and recommended the case be passed to the homicide squad for further assessment. Police searches went on with no solid leads about Tegan's whereabouts or evidence supporting Lane's claims.

On November 17, 2009, Lane was charged with murder. During the trial, evidence suggested that Lane had a motive for wanting to keep her pregnancies a secret. The jury found her guilty of lying under oath regarding details about adopting out two other babies. Eventually, they reached a guilty verdict for the murder charge as well.

Lane was sentenced to 18 years in prison. The court stated that her decisions seemed to be based on solving personal problems rather than any mental disorder. Following her conviction, Lane appealed but was denied in subsequent hearings. As of March 2024, she remained incarcerated under the "No body, No parole" laws, which meant she would not be eligible for parole until she cooperated with police to locate Tegan.