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Jack Unterweger biography

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  • PLACE OF DEATH: Graz, Austria
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Johann Unterweger was an Austrian serial killer. While in prison, he wrote a bestselling autobiography.

Synopsis

Johann Unterweger was an Austrian serial killer. While in prison, he wrote a bestselling autobiography titled, Fegefeur (Purgatory). In 1990, he convinced the prison system that he was a reformed man. The state released him on parole, and Unterweger became a literary celebrity. Four years later, he was found guilty of nine murders. Shortly after sentencing, he committed suicide by hanging.

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Serial killer. Born Johann Unterweger on August 16, 1950 in Austria. Abandoned by his prostitute mother, Jack lived for seven years with an alcoholic grandfather. He turned to crime in his early teens and was first arrested at 16 for assaulting a prostitute.

In 1976, Unterweger was convicted of the murder of Margaret Schaefer and sentenced to life in prison. While in prison, he learned to read and write, eventually earning literary respect both inside and outside the prison. In 1984, his prison autobiography Fegefeur (Purgatory) became a bestseller. Convinced that he was a reformed man, the state released him on parole in 1990.

After his release, Unterweger became a literary celebrity, appearing on talk shows and booking speaking engagements. Fegefeur was made into a feature film, and the former murderer became a journalist.

Not everyone was convinced of his transformation, however. After a string of prostitute murders matched the details of the Schaefer crime, police put Unterweger under surveillance. After several months of detective work, they had gathered enough evidence to arrest him.

In 1992, Unterweger was detained, but even then, he continued to give interviews freely, proclaiming his innocence and calling upon his colleagues for support. Despite his chatty demeanor, the evidence against him was overwhelming, and he was found guilty of nine counts of murder in 1994. Soon after sentencing, Unterweger used the string from his prison jumpsuit to hang himself.

 

 

 

 

 

© 2012 A+E Networks. All rights reserved.

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