Neville George Clevely Heath was born on 6 June 1917 in Ilford, Essex, England. Raised in a middle-class family, Heath was known for his charm and good looks. He attended Rutlish School in Merton and later joined the Royal Air Force (RAF). However, his military career was marred by disciplinary issues, leading to multiple discharges. Heath's life was characterized by deceit; he often assumed false identities and fabricated stories about his background.

In the summer of 1946, Neville Heath committed two heinous murders that shocked the United Kingdom.
On 20 June 1946, Heath met 32-year-old Margery Gardner at the Panama Club in Kensington, London. They spent the evening together before returning to Heath's hotel room at the Pembridge Court Hotel. The following morning, Gardner's mutilated body was discovered; she had been bound, whipped, and beaten to death. Heath had already fled the scene.
After the first murder, Heath traveled to Bournemouth under an alias. On 3 July 1946, he met 21-year-old Doreen Marshall at the Tollard Royal Hotel. Marshall was later found dead in nearby Branksome Chine, having suffered similar brutal injuries as Gardner.

Heath was arrested on 8 July 1946 in Bournemouth. During his trial at the Old Bailey, he pleaded insanity, but the jury found him guilty of Gardner's murder. He was sentenced to death and executed by hanging at Pentonville Prison on 16 October 1946.