Lindsay Hoani Beckett was born on March 27, 1974, in New Zealand. He spent his early years in the Bay of Plenty town of Ōpōtiki. As a child, not much is known about his family life or childhood experiences. However, it is recorded that he eventually moved to Australia.

Beckett settled in Yass, New South Wales. During this time, he became involved in criminal activities. One of the people he associated with was Leslie Camilleri, who was five years older than him. Beckett and Camilleri became involved in various criminal pursuits together.

Beckett's relationship with Camilleri was notable for Camilleri's strong influence over him. This influence would later become significant during the events that led to Beckett's arrest. When Beckett was 23 years old, he was already living in Yass and was deeply engaged in a criminal lifestyle.

On October 5, 1997, Lauren Barry and Nichole Collins left a campsite near Bega to attend a nearby party. At the same time, Leslie Camilleri and Lindsay Beckett were driving around in a car. They had been using drugs and drinking alcohol when Camilleri spotted the girls walking along the road. The girls accepted their offer for a ride.

After picking them up, Camilleri and Beckett began to change their plans. Camilleri became angry about how the car was handling, and he pulled out a knife, threatening the girls. Beckett joined in, showing his own knife. The girls were trapped in the locked back seat of the car as they were driven away from the campsite, further into rural New South Wales and eventually into Victoria.

The girls were taken to a remote rubbish dump where they were sexually assaulted. Camilleri and Beckett drove them to several locations, subjecting them to further assaults. They stopped at Fiddler's Green Creek a few hours later. Here, the girls were ordered to wash off evidence and then tied up. Camilleri insisted that the girls could not be allowed to go back, indicating a decision had been made to kill them.

Beckett was instructed by Camilleri to drown the girls. When he struggled to do so, he instead stabbed Lauren Barry multiple times. Afterward, he attacked Nichole Collins, slashing her throat several times and stabbing her until she stopped moving.

After the murders, Camilleri and Beckett disposed of evidence. They burned their bloodstained clothing and other items before driving back to New South Wales. They later cleaned their vehicle thoroughly to remove any signs of their crime.

On October 25, police found a stolen car belonging to Beckett that contained maps and personal items. Beckett was arrested days later, and after some time, he confessed to the police, guiding them to the location of the bodies of the two girls. Both men were charged with multiple crimes, including abduction and murder.

During their trials, Camilleri denied involvement and tried to place the blame solely on Beckett. However, evidence and Beckett's testimony led to both being convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.