Michele Profeta was born on October 3, 1947, in Palermo, Italy. He grew up in a busy city and had a life that would later take some unexpected turns. In the 1990s, Michele moved from Palermo to northern Italy, seeking new opportunities. He started working in a financial services company.

Michele settled in two different places. He lived in Adria with his wife, Concetta Mordino, and two of their children. He also had two other children from a previous marriage. In Mestre, he had a secret relationship with his partner, Antonia Gemmati. He kept this second relationship hidden from both women.

Over time, Michele faced financial difficulties. He developed a passion for gambling, which led him to accumulate significant debt. On January 10, 2001, in a moment of distress, he wrote a letter to the Milan Police Headquarters. In this letter, he threatened to commit random murders if he was not granted 12 billion lire.

On January 29, 2001, in Padua, Italy, a taxi was found with its driver, Pierpaolo Lissandron, dead inside. He had been shot in the back of the head with a .32 caliber pistol. Initially, it was thought to be a robbery. However, on February 1, a letter was sent to the police in Milan, where a serial killer claimed responsibility for the murder.

On February 11, the body of real estate agent Walter Boscolo was found in an apartment. He had also been shot in the back of the head. At the scene, investigators found two playing cards and a letter written by the killer. The letter asked police to contact the commissioner in Milan. It was determined that Boscolo had a meeting that day with someone using the name "Mr. Pertini."

Michele Profeta had used this false name to meet another real estate agent on January 18. The agent recognized him from a police mugshot. Investigators traced his name because he used the same phone card to call Boscolo's agency and friends. On the evening of February 16, 2001, Profeta was arrested in Padua. Police found a playing card, the stencil he used to write letters, and a gun in his car.

In 2002, the Court of Assizes in Padua sentenced him to life imprisonment for the murders of Lissandron and Boscolo. These murders occurred 12 days apart in late January and early February. Profeta started his sentence in a Padua prison. After an escape attempt in July 2001, he was moved to a prison in Voghera.

Michele Profeta was a heart patient. He died on July 16, 2004, in Milan from a heart attack in a prison lawyer's room. He was taking his first university exam in History of Philosophy at the University of Milan at the time. A professor witnessed his final moments as Profeta appeared to relax and later had convulsions. Despite efforts to help him, he died shortly after.