Tore Hedin was born on 7 January 1927 in Stora Harrie, Scania, Sweden. He was the son of Per Alfred Hedin and Hulda Marie Hedin. Hedin was known to be intelligent and excelled academically, which led him to pursue a career in law enforcement. He became a police officer and was well-regarded in his community.

However, Hedin's criminal activities began early. In September 1943, at the age of 16, he broke into a local brewery near his home to steal oats. To cover up the theft, he set the brewery on fire, marking the beginning of a pattern where he used arson to conceal his crimes. This incident went unnoticed, and he continued his life without suspicion.

In the summer of 1952, Hedin's fiancée, Ulla Östberg, ended their engagement. Enraged, Hedin assaulted her with handcuffs and threatened her with a firearm, leading to his dismissal from the police force. Despite attempts to reconcile, Östberg refused to resume the relationship.

On the night of 21 August 1952, Hedin embarked on a killing spree. He first murdered his parents, Per Alfred and Hulda Hedin, in their home in Saxtorp and set the house ablaze. He then proceeded to the retirement home in Hurva, where Östberg worked. There, he killed Östberg and the matron, Agnes Lundin, with an axe. He set the building on fire, resulting in the deaths of four elderly residents due to the blaze, with a fifth succumbing to injuries later.

After the murders, Hedin fled the scene. His car was later found near Bosarpasjön, along with a suicide note confessing to the crimes and explaining his actions. He stated that he killed his parents to spare them the shame of his actions. 

Hedin's body was discovered in the lake, weighted down to ensure drowning. His remains were stored at Lund University's Institution of Anatomy until 1974, when they were cremated.