Swinka was the son of a reportedly contentious and irascible father who left his family after being released from captivity.
He initially worked as a casual worker, but to compensate for physical deficits, he joined a boxing club at 17 years old.
While in this position, Swinka developed an interest and continued to study, privately setting up his own knife collection.
The trial against Swinka was conducted under strict secrecy, since from the point of view of the former rules in East Germany this case offered propaganda possibilities from the West.
Swinka was sentenced to death, and on October 1, 1970, at Leipzig Prison, shot from close range by executioner Hermann Lorenz.