Lam Kwok-wai was born on January 27, 1971, in Hong Kong. He grew up in the Tuen Mun area, which was known for high rates of truancy and juvenile crime. The presence of various drugs and the influence of the Sun Yee On triad were significant in his neighborhood. Lam lived with his father, stepmother, and four siblings in a small 450-square-foot apartment in Tai Hing House. His biological mother left the family when he was just three years old to live with another man.

As a child, Lam struggled in school and frequently faced issues related to delinquency. This led him to drop out of school at the age of 15. Prior to dropping out, he spent two months in a detention center for his behavior. After turning 18, Lam began experimenting with drugs and drinking daily. He also became involved in illegal road racing.

Lam Kwok-wai committed his first murder on 21 May 1993. The victim was a 50-year-old woman named Li Hing. She was returning home from a mahjong game early in the morning when she entered an elevator in the Yau Oi estate. Lam followed her, and after killing her, he raped and sodomized her.

On 14 April 1993, Lam murdered his second victim, 22-year-old Mak Siu-han, a DJ. She was returning home from a job at the New World Hotel's Catwalk Disco in the early morning. Her body was found later that day in her apartment building.

Lam's final murder took place on 11 July 1993. He targeted 23-year-old Lau Sui-man, a karaoke PR hostess. This murder occurred after he had fled to Hunghom to avoid the increased attention from the police.

He was later arrested on 9 August 1993 after an attack on a 21-year-old woman. She reported the incident to the police, leading to his capture. Lam was charged with multiple offenses, including three counts of murder, and was found guilty after a trial. He received life imprisonment for each murder count.