Hoshang Amini was born in 1936 in Varamin, Tehran Province, Iran. He came from a poor family with many hardships, especially after his father abandoned them. Growing up, Amini faced abuse from family members. He never married and did not have a steady job. He liked poetry by Hafez and music by Parviz Yahaghi. Over time, Amini began to believe he was cleansing the world from corruption, inspired by another notorious Iranian criminal named Asghar the Murderer.

From 1954 to 1962, Amini committed a series of violent crimes in Varamin and surrounding areas. He attacked mostly young boys but also targeted men and women. He kidnapped or tricked his victims into going to isolated places, where he would rape, torture, and strangle them. After killing them, he cut off their heads and threw their bodies into wells. This method earned him the nickname "The Ghost of the Qanat Wells".

His first known victim was found in March 1954, a headless body discovered in an aqueduct. More bodies were found in the following years, leading to fear and panic in the area. Sometimes, he had accomplices who joined him in his crimes. In one brutal case, he and his friends kidnapped, assaulted, and murdered a young boy.

The killings created terror throughout the community. Eventually, in 1962, the police received a clue after a court employee found blood leading to a well. They discovered two murdered boys inside, which eventually led to Amini’s arrest.

Amini was arrested in 1962. He initially denied involvement but later confessed to killing a total of 67 people. He calmly admitted his crimes and showed no remorse. Amini said he enjoyed removing people he saw as corrupt.

After his confession, Amini was convicted and sentenced to death. He was publicly hanged in December 1963 in Toopkhaneh, Tehran, alongside another criminal. Before he was executed, he recited poetry and said that killing him wouldn’t solve the problem, hinting that many others like him existed in Tehran.