Maurizio Giugliano was born on June 7, 1962, in a small place called Acciarella, located in the Latina region of Italy. He was the second child in a family of four. His parents worked as cow herders. From the very start, Giugliano faced health issues. He suffered from malnutrition, which likely made it hard for him to grow properly. He didn’t start speaking until he was four years old.

When Giugliano was eight years old, an accident changed his life. In 1970, he was hit by a motorcycle that was driven by carabinieri, the Italian police. After this incident, Giugliano became more aggressive and unstable. Over the years, he showed violent behavior. He often had angry outbursts at his father, siblings, and classmates. At one point, he even harmed animals on the family farm. Because of this, he was sent to several psychiatric hospitals for help but managed to escape from each one.

In the 1970s, the Giugliano family moved frequently before settling in Rome. In 1977, when he was just 15, Giugliano was arrested for robbery. He spent a short time in Casal del Marmo, which is a juvenile prison. Two years later, in 1979, he was arrested again, this time for sexually assaulting someone he knew. During this case, a psychiatric evaluation was done. The doctors found that he had a personality disorder that might have been made worse by his difficult upbringing. While he waited for his sentencing, he was sent to the Aversa Judicial Psychiatric Hospital. After being convicted, he served two years in Pianosa Prison.

After his release from prison, Giugliano lived in a caravan on the edges of Rome. During this time, he married Rosa Bussaglia, whom he had known since he was a teenager. The couple had a daughter and lived together in the caravan. In February 1984, an argument with his mother-in-law turned violent. Giugliano set fire to the Bussaglia’s apartment and was arrested for arson. While in jail, he faced accusations related to several murders that were happening around Rome at that time.

Between July 1983 and January 1984, six women were murdered in Rome and nearby areas. These murders were linked to Maurizio Giugliano. The first victim was Thea "Tiziana" Stroppa, a 51-year-old prostitute, found dead on July 6, 1983. She had been strangled and shot. The second victim, Luciana "Silvana" Lupi, was found dead on July 9. She was 45 years old and had also been strangled. The third victim was Lucia "Margherita" Rosa, who was found on July 13. She was a 33-year-old known to the police and had been strangled with her own clothing.

On August 5, Giulia Meschi, a 31-year-old former municipal employee, was discovered murdered near Sabaudia. Witnesses described the killer, and he was later linked to this crime. Fernanda Renzetti Durante, a 53-year-old painter, was found on October 31. A knife found at the scene was determined to be the murder weapon. The last victim was Catherine "Katty" Skerl, a 17-year-old girl found dead on January 22, 1984. She had been strangled with a wire.

After the sixth murder, investigators reviewed Giugliano’s past. Although he had a criminal history, evidence for these murders was weak. His wife and family described concerning behavior. A witness to the Meschi murder identified Giugliano, but investigators could not connect him to the other five murders, raising doubts about his guilt.

Giugliano was charged with three murders: Stroppa, Rosa, and Meschi. During his trial for Stroppa's murder, he was found to be of unsound mind and acquitted by reason of insanity. In the trial for Rosa’s murder, he confessed but later retracted. Witnesses could not confirm he was seen at the crime scene, leading to his acquittal. In 1986, he was convicted for Meschi’s murder based on witness testimony and sentenced to 17 years and 8 months.

Giugliano's time in prison included sharing a cell with another inmate, where he allegedly confessed to more murders. He denied these claims when questioned. His behavior in prison was violent. He misbehaved during trials and was eventually moved to a psychiatric hospital after suffocating a fellow inmate. Giugliano died in custody from a heart attack in 1994.