Péter Kovács was born on January 11, 1934, in Szolnok, Hungary.

Péter Kovács's first murder took place on July 22, 1957. After watching a movie that included a violent scene, he felt a compulsion to act violently towards a woman. He left the cinema and rode his bicycle to the nearby Tisza Cipő shoe factory. There, he found a woman walking home. He followed her down an unlit dirt road, where he struck her on the head with a piece of iron. After the attack, he raped, suffocated, and disposed of her body in a drainage ditch before returning home.

The next day, workers discovered the victim's body. Police quickly investigated her relationships and interviewed her colleague, János Kirják, who had a tenuous connection to the victim. Kirják's contradictory statements and unproven alibi raised suspicions against him. Under pressure, he confessed and was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment for her murder. During the investigation, Kovács was not considered a suspect.

Years passed without any further attacks, during which time Kovács married and built a family. On November 13, 1963, he attempted to kill a woman in Homok by striking her with a hammer. Fortunately, she survived her injuries. In March 1964, he struck again but failed to complete another murder when the victim managed to escape.

In May 1964, the body of a woman was found near Nagyrév. It was determined that her death was due to drowning with no signs of foul play. Another body, that of a teenage girl, washed up in the Tisza River in April 1965, and her cause of death was ruled as suicide. Police began to suspect a serial killer was active in the area but failed to connect Kovács to the murders.

Then, on June 20, 1967, a body was found near the Körös River. This woman had been beaten, and evidence suggested she was killed before her body was thrown into the river. As investigators linked this murder to others, they revisited previous cases and eventually focused on Kovács.

Kovács had been missing around the time of the murder and used his work truck for personal use, creating opportunities for the crimes. Evidence from his truck pointed to his involvement, and after witnesses testified against him, he was arrested on August 11, 1967. Initially denying his guilt, Kovács confessed two days later, admitting to multiple murders.

By February 1968, he had confessed to killing the girl near the Tisza Cipő shoe factory, which exonerated Kirják. Kovács was tried for four murders and two attempted murders. The Szolnok County Court sentenced him to death, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court. His plea for clemency was denied, and he was executed by hanging on December 1, 1968.