Specific details about Bernhard Prigan's early life and background are scarce. Born in Germany in 1920, little is publicly documented about his upbringing, education, or personal relationships prior to his criminal activities. His emergence into public awareness is primarily tied to his series of violent crimes in the late 1940s and early 1950s.​

Between 1947 and 1952, Bernhard Prigan targeted women near controlled-access highways and major roads in Germany, leading the press to dub him "The Strangler" and "The Highway Killer." The exact number of his victims remains uncertain, with convictions for three murders and suspicions surrounding up to 16 cases.​

Prigan's apprehension on November 7, 1952, in a village near Mannheim, followed the discovery of a bread crust at a crime scene near the main road to Mannheim. This clue led authorities to a local bread factory, where a trader recalled seeing a man with a distinctive headband. A patrolman later remembered interacting with Prigan, who had asked for directions.​

Upon arrest, Prigan confessed to three murders, including that of 49-year-old seamstress Wilma Sulzer from Altlußheim, committed five days earlier. On the day of his arrest, he also killed 51-year-old housewife Margarethe Pohl in a forested area, an act witnessed by a student whom Prigan later confronted, advising him to avoid the woods due to "drunk guys" present.

After a four-day trial, Prigan was sentenced on December 19, 1953, to three consecutive life imprisonment terms. At that time, German law did not consolidate multiple life sentences into a single term. Details about his life following the conviction, including his date of death, remain unknown.