Leonard Keith "Len" Lawson was born in 1927 in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. He became a well-known comic book artist, best known for The Lone Avenger, which was first published in 1946 and sold up to 70,000 copies. He also created other popular comics, including The Hooded Rider and Diana, Queen of the Apes. Aside from comics, Lawson worked as a commercial artist and photographer.

On May 7, 1954, Lawson took five female models to a bushland area in Terrey Hills, Sydney, for what they believed was a photo shoot. Once there, he tied them up and sexually assaulted them, raping two of the women. He was caught and sentenced to death, but when the death penalty was abolished in New South Wales, his sentence was changed to 14 years in prison. He was released in 1961 after serving only seven years.

On November 7, 1962, less than two years after his release, Lawson raped and murdered 16-year-old Jane Bower, a girl he had been painting. The next day, he took hostages at the Sydney Church of England Girls' Grammar School in Moss Vale. During the standoff, he killed 15-year-old Wendy Luscombe. Lawson was arrested and later sentenced to life in prison.

While in prison, Lawson continued to paint, creating murals inside the prison. He remained in custody for the rest of his life. On November 29, 2003, he died in his cell at Grafton Correctional Centre at the age of 76.