Zhou Kehua was born on 6 February 1970 in Ertang Village, located within Jingkou Town of Shapingba District in Chongqing, China. His family lived in poverty and maintained a secluded lifestyle, avoiding contact with other villagers. Zhou's father, originally from another town, worked as an accountant for a local production team and was reportedly sent to Ertang due to misconduct. His mother, a divorcee with two children from a previous marriage, moved to the village where the family became known for their reclusiveness.

As a child, Zhou was perceived as honest but impolite and was commonly called by his nickname "Hua'er." He spent much of his time outdoors to avoid his parents' frequent arguments. Alongside his childhood friend, Zhou often swam in the Jialing River and developed an early interest in wilderness survival. He attended local schools and became fond of detective novels and martial arts literature. However, he failed his high school entrance exam in 1985 and worked for a period in his father's sand-collecting business.

Zhou's first recorded offense occurred in 1986, when he was jailed for 14 days on a molestation charge. In 1991, he stole cash, food coupons, and a hunting rifle, which became his first firearm. Although he attempted to join the People's Liberation Army, he failed the fitness examination. In 1993, while carrying the stolen rifle, Zhou fired a shot during a police inspection in Wuhan and fled. He was arrested the same day and sentenced to two years of re-education through labor. Upon early release in 1995, he found employment at Chongqing East railway station.

In 1996, Zhou married a woman identified in later accounts as "Xu Rong." The following year, he was caught with an illegal firearm but avoided prison by paying a fine. The couple later started a minibus service, but a traffic accident in 2001 led to legal and financial trouble. After his wife refused to divorce him during the 2002 Chinese New Year, Zhou disappeared and was believed to have moved to Burma, where he occasionally visited his wife. Authorities later stated that he served as a mercenary in Burma from 2002 to 2004. In 2005, he was again imprisoned in Yunnan for arms trafficking and served a three-year sentence.

Zhou Kehua was suspected of a series of armed robberies and murders spanning from 2004 to 2012, collectively known as the Su-Xiang-Yu serial murders. Authorities linked him to at least ten killings in the provinces of Jiangsu, Hunan, and the municipality of Chongqing.

The earliest known homicide occurred on 22 April 2004 in Jiangbei, Chongqing. Two women were shot after withdrawing money from a bank; one was injured and the other, Zhao Zheng, was killed. The attacker stole ¥70,000 in cash. On 16 May 2005 in Shapingba, a couple was murdered after a bank visit and their wallets were taken; a passerby was also wounded. In another Chongqing incident on 19 March 2009, Zhou killed 18-year-old soldier Han Junliang and stole his rifle.

On 14 October 2009, 56-year-old Li Chengshou was shot and killed while walking in Nanjiao Park in Tianxin, Changsha. Less than two months later, on 4 December, Guo Chaoyun was killed in the same district after exiting a bank; the suspect took ¥45,000 from his body. On 25 October 2010, a business manager in Yuhua District was shot and killed, and his laptop was stolen. Another victim was shot on 28 June 2011 in Tianxin while exiting his vehicle; though injured, he survived.

On 6 January 2012, two men were shot in Xiaguan, Nanjing, after withdrawing money; one, Cheng Shengyi, died. The final murders occurred on 10 August 2012 in Shapingba, Chongqing. Zhou killed Liao Deying and stole ¥70,000, also injuring two others. Later that day, he shot and killed police officer Zhu Yanchao in Qinjiagang Town, prompting a manhunt.

Zhou was located on 14 August 2012 in Tongjiaqiao Village, near his hometown. Police staged a decoy search while plainclothes officers followed him into an alley known as Lettuce Trench. Zhou fired three shots at the officers, missing each time. They returned fire, striking Zhou in the head and stomach. He died at the scene. His final words were reported as, "I took the wrong path."