Johann “Jack” Unterweger, today known as the Vienna Strangler, was born on August 16, 1950 in Judenburg, Austria. His father was a soldier, his mother a waitress, although the media also reported that she was involved in prostitution. When he was three, his mother went to prison, and Johann was placed in the care of his alcoholic grandfather. From his childhood, Unterweger had problems with the law. Thefts, burglaries, robberies, and finally brutal rape meant that in 1974 Johann went to prison. After a suicide attempt, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. A month after his release, he made his first . For killing 18-year-old Margret Schäfer, he was again imprisoned. During the investigation, he admitted that he murdered her because she reminded him of his mother.
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His biography turned out to be a bestseller. Jack Unterweger has been hailed as a “miracle of rehabilitation”
While in an Austrian prison, Unterweger developed an interest in literature and writing. He wrote stories and plays. He also wrote , in which he presented himself as a victim. “Purgatory” became a best-seller, and even a TV movie was made based on it. Creativity meant that writers, artists and politicians came to his defense, demanding Unterweger’s release. It was explained that it is an example of exemplary social rehabilitation. Finally, in May 1990, Johann was released on parole with a positive psychiatric opinion based on his book.
Johann Unterweger became a star. He appeared in the media, he was treated like a celebrity. On television, the “miracle of social rehabilitation” willingly talked about adapting to life after being in prison. Eventually he started working as a journalist. In the media, he reported high-profile murders.
“Miracle of social rehabilitation” murdered 4 months after being released. He reported his own crimes in the media
He reported the crimes of “the first Austrian serial killer” and interviewed prostitutes. He accused the police of being sluggish in their investigation and warned the public. In 1991, he received an offer to write a report about prostitution in Los Angeles. In the meantime, he murdered women. He murdered his first victim, Blanka Bockova, in Prague, four months after his release. In 1990, he killed two more women. In 1991, he murdered five more women. Throughout this time, he criticized the local police through the media. When he left for Los Angeles, the crimes in Austria stopped. In the United States, he killed three prostitutes. Victims were strangled to death by underwear, including bras, or pantyhose, and were also raped.
After the police gathered evidence, he fled to the United States. In 1994 he was sentenced to life imprisonment
Eventually, the police in Austria became suspicious. Credit card printouts linked Unterweger to the two locations where the body was found. However, the detectives had no other evidence, so after questioning, they released the man. Finally, in the car that once belonged to Jacek Unterweger, a hair belonging to the first victim, Blanka Bockova, was found. Thanks to the cooperation with the Los Angeles police, they managed to gather enough evidence to arrest the man. However, he ran away. He was prosecuted in Switzerland, France and the United States. He was finally arrested in Miami, Florida.
After his arrest, Unterweger willingly gave interviews and argued that he was innocent. Finally, on June 29, 1994, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment. That same night he hanged himself in his cell. He used a rope from shoelaces and made a characteristic knot, the same one that was found on the bodies of the women he murdered.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
