Hubert Pilčík was born on October 14, 1891, in Nový Hrozenkov, a small town in what is now the Czech Republic. He grew up in a region that was part of Austria-Hungary at the time. As a young man, Hubert moved from job to job throughout his early life. Eventually, he found work at the Škoda Works factory in Plzeň. He worked there for many years and remained employed until he retired.

Hubert married Antonie, who was eleven years younger than him. They did not have any children together. Life for Hubert and Antonie was typical of many couples during that time, focusing on work and their home.

On the evening of March 6, 1951, a fire broke out at an abandoned cottage known as "Lipovka." The next day, investigators found burnt human remains. They determined that the body had been set on fire using accelerants. An autopsy later suggested that the individual, a man, likely died from being burnt alive. The investigation into this fire was part of a larger inquiry into a series of crimes committed by Hubert Pilčík.

On July 20, children playing near the city of Senec discovered a human leg, leading authorities to a shallow grave. There, they found the decaying body of a young woman who had been gagged and bound. The victim was identified as Renata Balleyova, a photographer from Plzeň. She had been trying to escape Czechoslovakia with her father, Emanuel, and her father's 12-year-old niece. Authorities soon turned their attention to Pilčík, who was a well-known retiree.

In September 1951, police, disguised as electricians, entered Pilčík's home to arrest him. Inside, they found four firearms and many items belonging to various victims. They also rescued Emanuel's 12-year-old niece, who had been trapped in a secret compartment of a pigsty, where she had been assaulted.

Pilčík had killed Emanuel while he was sleeping at Lipovka, during preparations to flee to Bavaria. Renata was murdered shortly after, also by blows to the head. In his confession, Pilčík revealed plans to murder additional family members but had been caught before he could carry out those intentions.

After his apprehension, Pilčík took his own life in prison on September 9, 1951. Authorities believed that the large amount of jewelry found in his home indicated he had killed potentially many more people, all in connection with escape attempts from the Iron Curtain.