Joachim Knychała was born on September 8, 1952, in Bytom, Poland. He came from a modest Protestant family. His mother was German, and his father was Polish. When Joachim was just two years old, his father left the family. This left his mother to support them both, while Joachim was raised by his strict grandmother.

His grandmother was very harsh and did not show him any affection. She often expressed her hatred for Joachim by calling him a "Polish bastard." This mistreatment included both physical and psychological abuse, which Joachim later wrote about in his diary. His troubled early life led to difficulties in making friends and building relationships. This was when he began to develop a hatred toward women.

In 1959, Joachim started attending school. He felt very alone and was often teased by his classmates for being poor and for his different background. Due to his German heritage, other children called him "Swabian." As he faced more bullying, he grew increasingly aggressive and declared himself an atheist.

Joachim frequently got into fights during his school years, earning respect from some older boys because of his physical strength. It was also in primary school that he tried alcohol for the first time and began to interact with girls. After finishing primary school, instead of pursuing his dream of becoming a sailor, he chose to train as a miner. He graduated from mining school in 1970 and soon began working at the Julian mine.

Shortly after starting work, at the age of 19, Joachim encountered trouble with the law. He and two friends were charged with attempted rape. The court sentenced Knychała to three years in prison. He believed the trial was unfair and thought he had been set up by the girl involved. After serving 16 months, he was released from prison.

Following his release, Joachim found work at another mine, got married, and had children. During this time, no one suspected that this seemingly good husband and father had begun to commit serious crimes against young women.

Joachim Knychała was a Polish serial killer known for committing a series of brutal murders between 1975 and 1982. His first known murder occurred on November 1975 when he killed Elżbieta Mikułowa in Piekary Śląskie. 

Knychała's attacks continued in May 1976, when he murdered Mirosława Sarnowska in Chorzów. Just a few months later, on October 30, 1976, he struck again, killing Teresa Ryms in Bytom. These early murders went largely unnoticed, as Knychała managed to elude police suspicion despite the common victim profile.

On June 23, 1979, he committed another murder in Piekary Śląskie, taking the life of Halina Syda. This assault, like previous ones, was marked by brutality and resulted in the victim being found in a state that revealed violent manipulation.

The last of Knychała’s known victims was Bogusława Ludyga, whom he killed on May 8, 1982, also in Piekary Śląskie. This victim was significant as she was both his lover and the sister of his wife. Her murder came after she threatened to expose their affair. Knychała killed her with a pickaxe and attempted to stage the scene as an accident.

Knychała's reign of terror led to his eventual capture in May 1982 when police began to piece together the connection between the various murders. They arrested him during his sister-in-law’s funeral shortly after her death. During interrogation, he initially denied involvement but was later tested with a polygraph and began to confess.

He ultimately admitted to five murders and several assaults, revealing details of his crimes that shocked investigators. His confession provided insights into his motives and the planning that characterized his attacks. Knychała was tried and sentenced to death, and his execution took place in 1985.