Per Pålsson was born on September 16, 1828, in Östra Tockarp, Örkelljunga, Sweden. From a young age, he exhibited a pattern of criminal behavior. At 18, he was convicted in 1846 for multiple thefts in Örkelljunga and Vedby, resulting in a 10-day imprisonment and mandatory church labor. In 1848, he faced another conviction for thefts in southern Åsbo, including stealing knives and 288 buttons, leading to a 24-day imprisonment.

On December 24, 1852, during a robbery in Lemmeshult, Sweden, 15-year-old Hanna Pålsdotter was fatally shot. Per Pålsson was apprehended and, on May 21, 1853, convicted by the Härads court for her murder. He was initially sentenced to public church penance, whipping, and death by decapitation. However, on August 11, 1853, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment with obligatory church duties. 

Pålsson served his sentence in various facilities, including Örkelljunga prison, Varberg Fortress, and Malmö central prison. After serving nearly 15 years, he was fully pardoned and released on May 31, 1868. He lived as a free man until his death on February 4, 1914.