Mahin Qadiri was born in 1977 in Qazvin, Iran, as the third of eight children. She left school after the third grade and entered into marriage at the age of 14, eventually becoming a mother to two daughters. Despite her limited formal education, Qadiri was recognized for her intelligence and complex personality. She had a deep affection for her family, particularly her disabled daughter, Fatemeh, who suffered from chronic health issues. However, Qadiri struggled with significant financial difficulties, exacerbated by her husband's refusal to support her extravagant spending habits. This financial strain led her to accumulate substantial debts, which she was unable to repay.

In an attempt to alleviate her financial burdens, Qadiri turned to crime, targeting elderly individuals for their valuable possessions. Her first known murder occurred in 2006, when she strangled and robbed an elderly man in Qazvin. Due to insufficient evidence, she was acquitted of this crime. Between February and May 2009, Qadiri embarked on a killing spree, murdering five elderly women. She would approach her victims near religious sites, offering them rides home in her Renault vehicle. During the journey, she would offer them juice laced with anesthetics to incapacitate them before strangling them and stealing their jewelry.

Qadiri's arrest on May 15, 2009, followed an investigation that linked her vehicle to the crime scenes. Upon searching her home, authorities discovered newspaper clippings about her crimes and literature on other serial killers, indicating a premeditated approach influenced by crime novels, particularly those of Agatha Christie. She confessed to the murders, citing financial desperation and resentment towards her mother as motivations. Qadiri was convicted on six counts of premeditated murder and robbery, receiving a death sentence. She was executed by hanging at Qazvin Central Prison on December 20, 2010.