Muthukutty Chandran was born on December 15, 1950, in Karinthalam, Nileswaram, Kerala, India. His early life was marked by hardship. After his father passed away, he had to stop his studies. This loss affected Chandran deeply, and he left home when he was just 14 years old.

Chandran moved to Karnataka, where he began committing thefts to survive. He quickly gained a reputation in his hometown, as people believed he was running a legitimate business, due to the money he brought back home. However, his source of income was not honest work. During his time in Karnataka, he met a man named Thimmmaya, who became his accomplice in various criminal activities.

On 10 September 1985, Muthukutty Chandran committed his first murder. His first victim was a woman named Ramani. She lived in the Kasargod district, near Chemmad. In the following month, he murdered three family members in Manjeswaram by hitting them on the head with a pickaxe. Chandran continued his violent actions over the next several months. He targeted unsecured houses, often those without men present. He chose locations near highways and railway tracks for his robberies.

Chandran's initial spree consisted of 13 murders. These occurred in various places, including Chitari, Kuddlu, Chamundikun, Havanchi, and Hariyatukka in Karnataka. While the police were conducting their investigation, he committed one more murder on 11 February 1986 in Parassinikadam, Kannur district. This was the last crime he committed before his arrest.

Just a week later, on 26 February 1986, police arrested Chandran in Chikmagalur, Karnataka. After his trial in 1987, he was sentenced to death. He was transferred to Kannur Central Jail and kept in solitary confinement. His accomplice, Thimmayya, received a death sentence initially but was later acquitted. In prison, Chandran attempted to appeal his death penalty, but his efforts were unsuccessful. He remained in solitary confinement for four years until 1991. On 6 July 1991, Chandran was executed by hanging. After his execution, police buried him in a public cemetery because his brother refused to accept his body due to fears of public outrage.