Luis Alfredo Garavito Cubillos was born on January 25, 1957, in Génova, Quindío, Colombia. He grew up in a troubled household. His parents often fought, and Garavito described his father as a "womanizer" who often abused the family physically. Because of this, Garavito and his siblings knew they had to hide from their father. He claimed his father spoke to him only when it was related to work or errands and would often verbally berate him.

Garavito attended Simón Bolívar School in Ceilán. There, he faced bullying from his classmates and struggled to learn. Due to his glasses, he was given the nickname "Garabato," which means "squiggle." The bullying made him prefer to be alone during recess. When Garavito was in the fifth grade, his father took him out of school to help support the family financially. This move discouraged him from making friends or interacting with girls, as he focused on earning money for the family.

In 1969, while visiting a pharmacist for a vaccination, Garavito claimed to have been sexually molested by the pharmacist, who was known to the family. This incident was deeply troubling for him. Afterward, he expressed his frustration by killing and dissecting two birds. Soon, he began acting inappropriately toward his younger siblings and claimed to have molested a six-year-old boy that same year. Reports from family and friends indicated that he became very withdrawn and aggressive after these incidents.

In 1971, Garavito's family moved to Trujillo. He did not share his experiences of abuse with anyone, fearing disbelief. Shortly after relocating, a neighbor exposed him to pornography, which led to more violence against him. Through his family, he began drinking alcohol and exhibited troubling behavior.

In 1972, Garavito faced eviction from his mother's home due to his violent actions. He had attempted to assault a five-year-old boy and later a six-year-old boy at a train station. Following these events, his father reprimanded him for his actions, which led to further conflicts in the family. By the mid-1970s, he was working various jobs, including as an assistant at a compensation fund and later as a street vendor.

Throughout his adolescence, Garavito’s relationships with women were complicated by his violent temper and alcohol use. He had several girlfriends and took care of their children as if they were his own. However, his behavior often led to scandal and gossip in the towns he lived in, resulting in difficulties in maintaining these relationships. He moved through various jobs and towns, never quite settling down.

Between 1992 and 1999, Garavito committed a series of heinous crimes across Colombia, targeting boys aged 6 to 16, primarily from low-income families. He lured his victims by posing as various figures of authority or trust, such as a monk, a disabled person, or a street vendor. Once he gained their trust, he would lead them to secluded areas where he bound, tortured, raped, and ultimately murdered them. Garavito often carried items like razor blades, candles, and lighters to aid in his torture methods. He kept detailed records of his crimes, including notes and maps indicating the locations of his victims' bodies.

His crimes went unnoticed for years due to the transient nature of his victims and the widespread violence in Colombia at the time. However, in 1999, the discovery of mass graves containing the bodies of young boys led investigators to identify a pattern. Garavito was arrested on April 22, 1999, for the attempted rape of a 12-year-old boy. During his detention, evidence linking him to the murders was found, including his distinctive glasses, personal items left at crime scenes, and his confession.

In 2001, Garavito was convicted of 138 counts of murder and sentenced to 1,853 years and 9 days in prison, the longest sentence in Colombian history. However, due to Colombian law, which caps prison sentences at 40 years, and his cooperation with authorities in locating victims' bodies, his sentence was reduced to 22 years. Public outrage ensued over the possibility of his early release, but he remained incarcerated until his death.

Garavito died on October 12, 2023, at the age of 66, in a hospital in Valledupar, Colombia, after battling cancer.