Tracey Wigginton was born on August 4, 1965, in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. At the age of three, she was adopted by her maternal grandparents, George and Avril Wigginton, after her parents' divorce. Wigginton later alleged that her grandparents were controlling and subjected her to physical and sexual abuse. Following their deaths in 1981, she inherited a substantial sum of money and briefly lived with her mother, who reportedly disapproved of her sexual orientation. Subsequently, Wigginton moved in with a family friend and was described as a "loving girl, gifted artist, and devout Catholic."

After experiencing a miscarriage, Wigginton distanced herself from the Catholic Church and delved into occult practices. She began communicating with a white witch in Adelaide and immersed herself in black magic, often carrying occult items and using animal blood to draw symbols. Her fascination with the occult deepened after relocating to Brisbane, where she claimed to have vampiric tendencies and a desire to consume human blood.

On the night of October 20, 1989, Wigginton, then 24, along with her acquaintances Lisa Ptaschinski, Kim Jervis, and Tracy Waugh, were driving around Brisbane in search of a victim. They encountered Edward Baldock, a 47-year-old council worker and father of five, who was waiting for a taxi after a night out. Jervis persuaded Baldock to accept a ride, and they drove him to a secluded park by the Brisbane River. ​

At the park, Baldock was led to believe he was engaging in a consensual encounter. While he undressed, Wigginton retrieved a knife from the car and proceeded to stab him 27 times, nearly decapitating him. She then drank his blood, fulfilling her self-proclaimed vampiric desire. The brutality of the murder shocked the nation and was described as "one of the most brutal and bizarre crimes Australia has ever seen."

Investigators quickly apprehended the group after discovering Wigginton's bank card in one of Baldock's shoes at the crime scene. Wigginton confessed to the murder, stating she "felt nothing" during the act and watched Baldock die while smoking a cigarette. She pleaded guilty to the murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1991, with a minimum of 13 years. Ptaschinski was also convicted of murder, Jervis of manslaughter, and Waugh was acquitted.

After serving over two decades in prison, Wigginton was granted parole and released on January 11, 2012. Her release sparked public outrage, especially after she posted disturbing images related to vampires and the occult on social media. Despite these concerns, her parole has not been revoked.