Joining Vlado Tanevski in the tiny group of killer journalists is Johann “Jack” Unterweger. This is a remarkable case, yet one that seems to have avoided the media limelight or the epic Hollywood treatment.
Born in 1950 to a young Austrian prostitute, Unterweger was put into the care of his grandfather, an abusive alcoholic. Little is known about his early years, but his teenage years were a tangle of petty crimes and violent behaviour.
In 1966, at the age of 16, he was arrested for assaulting a prostitute, something which would occur many times before his drawn-out crime spree was eventually over.
Ten years later, Unterweger committed his first murder. The strangulation of Margaret Shaefer was the first of a long list of murders attributed to Unterweger. However, this should not have been the case, as the young killer was sentenced to life imprisonment for this early foray into the realms of murder.
It was, however, prison life which created the Jack Untgerweger which was to become a national celebrity. While serving his life sentence, he learned to read and write, and wrote his best-selling autobiography, Fegefuer (Pergatory).
This gave the Austrian prison authorities something of a dilemma, this man certainly seemed to have been reformed during his years in prison, and as a popular writer and darling of Viennese society, the pressure was on the prison system to do something unusual. They would make an positive example of a prisoner.
Unterweger was released after just 14 years of his life sentence.
His fame grew every day upon his release, and he was soon a well known journalist and TV panellist. He was seen as something of an expert on the prison system, and the world of crime in general.
His new found fame also led to a constant string of glamorous girlfriends and a champagne lifestyle.
His stardom reached its peak when his autobiography was made into a feature film. Every newspaper and media outlet wanted Unterweger to work for them.
However, things were about to change. After only two years of freedom, Unterweger was linked to a series of prostitute murders around Austria. Although police could find no evidence to make an arrest, the famous journalist was constantly under police surveillance, apart from when he made a business trip overseas.
As well as the six prostitutes killed in Austria, strangled to death with their own undergarments which were tied in an unusual slipknot, thousands of miles away, the LAPD were experiencing a spate of prostitute murders.
Unbelievably, Unterweger had recently travelled to Los Angeles on “business”, claiming that he was researching an article on the different ways prostitution is viewed in the US and in Europe.
The eureka moment came when a retired detective was readong of the murders in Austria, and immediately recognised the killers “signature”, the unusual slipknot.
It was Unterweger, he was sure.
Having made the relevant calls, detectives began to look into murders around the globe, as Unterweger was a frequent traveller.
It was discovered that he was indeed in LA at the times of the murders, and even stayed in the hotel which was the last place two of the murdered women were seen alive.
Unterweger went on the run with his 17 year old girlfriend, leading police on a chase through Europe, Canada and the US. He was eventually caught in Miami, Florida and transported to Los Angeles to face the courts.
However, as California has a death penalty, and the evidence against him was circumstantial, Unterweger was allowed to be repatriated to Austria to stand trial for the six murders committed in his homeland.
All of the evidence against Unterweger was circumstantial, fibres found from his trademark red scarf on one of the victims, receipts and sightings from places in which the murders were committed, the fact that he had no alibi for any of the murders, and, of course, his previous crimes.
This led to one detective stating that “either Unterweger is guilty, or he is the unluckiest man in the world.”
Unterweger was found guilty by six of the eight jurors (which is enough in Austria, only a majority is needed) and sentenced (again) to life imprisonment. This time there would be no chance of parole. Unterweger would die in prison.
His death came significantly sooner than most people expected, in fact, it came six hours after his conviction. Using a cord from his drawstring trousers, Unterweger hung himself from the light fitting in his cell.
In the kind of finale perhaps expected of a journalist of his magnitude, unable to deny himself the big Hollywood ending, the former media star used the same unique slipknot used on the victims to end his own life.
John Leake, a leading journalist has spent years researching the life of Jack Unterweger, and has written a book, Entering Hades, which tells the story in the detail which it deserves. The website to accompany his book can be found at http://www.enteringhades.com/
Unterweger was eventually found to be guilty of 9 murders, but is believed to be responsible for 13. The victims of the 9 definite murders committed by Jack Unterweger are listed below.
Margaret Schaefer
Margaret, age 18, was murdered in 1974. A bra had been used to strangle her to death.
Marcia Horveth
Marcia was murdered in 1974. there was no formal sentence for this case because Unterweger had already received a life sentence.
Brunhilde Masser
Brunhilde was murdered in 1990.
Blanka Bockova
Blanka was murdered in 1990. Her remains were found on September 15, 1990.
Shannon Exley
Shannon was murdered in 1991, in Los Angeles. A bra had been used to strangle her to death.
Irene Rodriguez
Irene was murdered in 1991, in Los Angeles. A bra had been used to strangle her to death.
Peggy Booth
Peggy was murdered in 1991, in Los Angeles. A bra had been used to strangle her to death.
Below is a link to a three part documentary, Jack Unterweger “the Vienna Strangler”.
Red Ink Letters 