Offender Record · OFF-2026-183
Jack Unterweger (photo from the Radford University biography)
Johann Unterweger
Also known as Jack Unterweger, Jack the Writer, Hafenliterat, Knastpoet, Vienna Woods Killer, Vienna Strangler
Sex
Male
Race
White
Height
14'0"
Born
1950
Custody
Deceased
States
AT, IN, FL, CA
Distinguishing features5'6" in height per document.
Custody
Deceased at Graz-Karlau Prison
Custody record at the facility
On June 29, 1994 he was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. At 3:40 the next morning he was found hanging in his cell at the Graz court prison, having used the cord of his tracksuit trousers and, by most accounts, the same knot found on his victims.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Where a record says named by police, no charge was ever filed: the record rests on a law enforcement agency's public identification of the deceased person, cited below. Not guilty by reason of insanity means the court found the act proven but the person not criminally responsible. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Johann 'Jack' Unterweger was an Austrian serial killer who committed at least twelve murders in Austria, West Germany, Czechoslovakia and the United States. In 1976, Unterweger was convicted of the murder of Margaret Schaefer and sentenced to life in prison. Jack Unterweger was released on May 23, 1990, after he served fifteen years of his life term in prison. He was arrested on February 27, 1992, by FBI in Miami, Florida, after an extended chase through Europe, Canada and the U.S. he was charged with 11 homicides including one in Prague. Johann 'Jack' Unterweger was convicted on nine of the eleven counts of murder in a 6:2 majority. At 3:40 A.M. on June 29, jailers found him hanging from a curtain rod in his cell, the drawstring from his sweatpants looped around his neck.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date 1974, Austria
Two counts of murder (acquitted)
Graz Court of Justice (Gerichtshof), Austria · District Court, Graz, Austria · Arrested Feb 27, 1992 · Acquitted Acquitted
He was acquitted of the two others mostly due to the deterioration of the bodies and not having enough evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to convict.
SourcesJack Unterweger – Celebrity Writer Serial Killer
Offense date Oct 26, 1974, Frauental, Styria, Austria
Murder of a young woman
Austrian Police / Vienna authorities · District Court, Austria · Arrested Jan 17, 1975 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment
On October 26, 1974, Unterweger lured 18-year-old West German Margaret Schäfer to a secluded wooded area near Frauental, Styria, Austria, where he attempted a sexual assault; when she resisted, he strangled her to death using her own brassiere as a ligature. When Jack Unterweger was taken into custody he confessed to Margaret's murder.
SourcesJack Unterweger; Jack Unterweger – Celebrity Writer Serial Killer; Radford University serial killer biography: Unterweger, Jack
Offense date Sep 15, 1990, Vienna, Graz, Prague, Los Angeles
Nine counts of murder
Graz Court of Justice (Gerichtshof), Austria · District Court, Graz, Austria · Arrested Feb 27, 1992 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment without possibility of parole
Johann 'Jack' Unterweger was convicted on nine of the eleven counts of murder in a 6:2 majority. Jack Unterweger was found guilty of nine counts of murder; the Prague victim, all three Los Angeles victims and five in Austria. The police identified three victims in Vienna — Sabine Moitzi, Karin Eroglu, and Heidi Hammerer — all of whom were sex workers discovered in a similar condition. Each victim had been found naked, with their hands bound, strangled using their brassiere tied in a knot, and had been sexually assaulted.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Unterweger, Jack; Jack Unterweger – Celebrity Writer Serial Killer; Jack Unterweger: Poet of Death; Jack Unterweger
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
9
Victims convicted
0
Victims confessed
2
Victims suspected
Active years
1974–1992
Victim profile
Young women, Sex workers
Stated motive
Sexual, Anger or revenge, Power or control
Range from home
interstate
Accomplice
Yes
Confessed
Yes
Education
some high school
Marital history
Never married
Children
0
Died
1994-06-29 · suicide
Agencies
Law enforcement, prosecutors and corrections agencies the records show dealing with this person. An investigator working a case with a possible connection can start here.
Justizanstalt Graz-Karlau (Graz-Karlau Prison) · AT
Held Unterweger during trial; site of his suicide on June 29, 1994
Source: Wikipedia
Graz Court of Justice (Gerichtshof) · AT
Prosecuted 1974 murder (convicted); indicted on 11 murder counts August 1992; trial April-June 1994
Los Angeles District Attorney's Office · CA
Declined to prosecute Los Angeles murders due to lack of evidence; case transferred to Austria
U.S. Immigration Service · FL
Detained Unterweger for entering on tourist visa without disclosing felony conviction
U.S. Attorney's Office (Miami) · FL
Issued provisional warrant for Unterweger; lacked evidence to prosecute Los Angeles murders
Los Angeles Police Department · CA
Investigated three prostitute murders in Los Angeles/Malibu summer 1991; collaborated with Austrian police
Austrian Police (Vienna) · AT
Investigated 1974 murder of Margaret Schäfer; renewed investigation in 1991 into Vienna prostitute murders
Source: Murderpedia
Federal Bureau of Investigation · US
Arrested Unterweger in Miami, Florida February 27, 1992; consulted on forensic evidence and profiling
Graz Police · AT
Obtained arrest warrant February 13, 1992; led investigation into Austria prostitute murders
Source: Murderpedia, Wikipedia
Miami Federal Detention Facility (Miami Metropolitan Correction Centre) · FL
Held Unterweger pending extradition and investigation by Interpol and LAPD
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
AT
Judenburg, Styria, Austria
approx. 1950 – 1953 · Birthplace; resided with mother until arrest in 1953
Carinthia, Austria
approx. 1953 – 1962 · Raised by grandfather following mother's imprisonment
Treffen am Ossiacher See, Carinthia, Austria
approx. 1962 – 1965 · Evangelical reform school; dropped out in 1965
St. Veit an der Glan, Carinthia, Austria
approx. 1965 – 1965 · Hotel waiter apprenticeship; fired after 6 months
Vienna, Austria
approx. 1966 – Dec 1967 · Bundesanstalt für Erziehungsbedürftige Kaiserebersdorf, federal juvenile detention facility
Hofgastein, Salzburg, Austria
approx. 1966 – 1966 · St. Anton · Multiple hotel waiter apprenticeships; left each after a few months
Austria
Nov 1966 – Nov 1966 · First conviction for theft from hotel guests
Vienna, Austria
approx. Dec 1967 – 1974 · Hotel waiter; frequently dismissed for workplace theft
Stein, Lower Austria, Austria
approx. 1975 – 1976 · Transferred between Austrian prisons following 1974 conviction; convicted of additional counts of rape and assault from 1971-1974
Austria
Jan 17, 1975 – Jan 17, 1975 · Arrested for October 1974 murder of Margaret Schäfer
Stein, Lower Austria, Austria
1976 – May 23, 1990 · Served life sentence for 1974 murder; learned to read and write; wrote autobiography and plays while imprisoned
Vienna, Austria
approx. May 23, 1990 – Jun 1991 · Journalist and crime reporter for Austrian magazine ORF; appeared on television discussing criminal rehabilitation
Graz, Styria, Austria
approx. Oct 1990 – Mar 1991 · Graz area and red-light district; targeted sex workers during this period
Vienna, Austria
approx. Oct 1990 – Apr 1991 · Vienna red-light district; targeted sex workers during this period
Austria
May 28, 1992 – May 28, 1992 · Extradited to Austria from Miami
Graz, Styria, Austria
May 28, 1992 – Jun 29, 1994 · Held in Graz-Karlau Prison awaiting trial and following conviction; died by suicide on June 29, 1994
CA
Los Angeles, California
Jun 11, 1991 – Jul 16, 1991 · Traveled to Los Angeles on assignment from Austrian magazine; stayed at Cecil Hotel downtown; murdered three sex workers during this period; obtained ride-along with LAPD
FL
Miami, Florida
Feb 27, 1992 – Feb 27, 1992 · Arrested by FBI in Miami while attempting to flee with girlfriend
Miami, Florida
Feb 27, 1992 – May 28, 1992 · Held in Miami Metropolitan Correction Centre pending extradition to Austria
IN
Switzerland, Indiana
approx. Jul 1991 – Feb 27, 1992 · Fled authorities following murders in Los Angeles; chased through multiple countries before arrest
Known Vehicles
Vehicles and approximate dates of ownership or use, as reported in the cited records. A photo next to a vehicle is the vehicle itself as published.
1991 white Hyundai – White Hyundai rented while in Los Angeles, 1991
approx. 1991 – 1991
Rented vehicle used in Los Angeles to transport and dispose of victims
1991 white Ford Mustang – White Ford Mustang; possibly used in Austria
approx. 1991 – 1991
Witness reported seeing man in white Ford Mustang and white suit matching Unterweger's description in Graz red-light district
1991 dark BMW – Dark BMW used to transport victims in Austria, 1990-1991
approx. 1990 – 1991
Used to abduct victims from streets; red fibers from vehicle found on victim
Photographs by Year
Jack Unterweger (photo from the Radford University biography)
Jack Unterweger (photo from the Radford University biography)
Timeline
Aug 16, 1950
Johann Unterweger born 16 August 1950 Judenburg, Styria, Allied-occupied Austria.
1953
When Theresia was arrested again in 1953, Jack was sent to live with his grandfather in Carinthia, Austria.
1966
He turned to crime in his early teens and was first arrested at 16 for assaulting a prostitute.
Nov 1966
Unterweger's first conviction was in November 1966, after he stole a total of 527 schilling from two hotel guests at work.
1970
In 1970, Unterweger was sentenced to seven months imprisonment for the kidnapping a minor from her legal guardians and theft, with the sentence extended by three months after he sent a threatening letter to a woman from prison.
Oct 26, 1974
On October 26, 1974, Unterweger lured 18-year-old West German Margaret Schäfer to a secluded wooded area near Frauental, Styria, Austria, where he attempted a sexual assault; when she resisted, he strangled her to death using her own brassiere as a ligature.
Jan 17, 1975
Date apprehended: 17 January 1975 (first arrest).
1976
In 1976, Unterweger was convicted of the murder of Margaret Schaefer and sentenced to life in prison.
May 23, 1990
Jack Unterweger was released on May 23, 1990, after he served fifteen years of his life term in prison.
Sep 15, 1990
On 15 September 1990, some passersby walking along the river Vitava River in Czechoslovakia, near Prague came across the grisly sight of the body of a young woman. Blanka Bockova was the first victim of Jack Unterweger.
Oct 1990
Brunhilde Masser disappeared from her patch the following October.
Dec 05, 1990
On December 5, 1990, another Austrian sex worker, thirty-one-year-old Heidemarie Hammerer, disappeared.
Apr 16, 1991
16 April 1991, Vienna: 25-year-old Sabine Moitzi.
May 20, 1991
The body of Sabine Moitzi was found May 20, 1991 in the Vienna woods.
Jun 11, 1991
Unterweger had made a five-week trip to Los Angeles (June 11 – July 16, 1991).
Jun 20, 1991
Shannon Exley was the first to be found on June 20, 1991, followed by Irina Rodriguez and Sherri Ann Long.
Jun 28, 1991
Shannon Exley, discovered on June 28 in the Hollywood Hills, similarly bound, beaten, and asphyxiated.
Oct 22, 1991
Officers of the Criminal Investigation Bureau in Vienna questioned Unterweger about the Austrian murders on 10/22/1991.
Feb 27, 1992
He was arrested on February 27, 1992, by FBI in Miami, Florida, after an extended chase through Europe, Canada and the U.S..
May 27, 1992
On May 27th, 1992, Unterweger was extradited back to Austria and charged with 11 murders including one in Prague and three in Los Angeles.
Apr 20, 1994
The trial of Johann 'Jack' Unterweger commenced on April 20, 1994, in Graz, Austria.
Jun 28, 1994
On the night of June 28, 1994, after two months of trial, the jury in Graz was asked whether Jack Unterweger was guilty of the murder of Blanka Bočková. The foreman answered six yes, two no, and the same majority convicted him of eight more killings, in Austria and Los Angeles, and acquitted him of two where the bodies had been too decomposed to establish how the women died.
Jun 29, 1994
He was convicted of the murders and found dead on June 29, 1994, having committed suicide.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
News report · Criminal Discourse Podcast ·
Jack Unterweger – Celebrity Writer Serial Killer“Johann 'Jack' Unterweger was convicted on nine of the eleven counts of murder in a 6:2 majority. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.”
News report · Murderpedia ·
Jack Unterweger“On June 29, 1994 he was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. At 3:40 A.M. on June 29, jailers found him hanging from a curtain rod in his cell.”
News report · Hell Horror ·
Male Serial Killer Jack Unterweger“Jack was convicted sixteen times from 1966 to 1975 for sexual assault and small crimes. He was arrested on February 27, 1992, by FBI in Miami, Florida.”
Other government record · Wikipedia ·
Jack Unterweger“Johann 'Jack' Unterweger (16 August 1950 – 29 June 1994) was an Austrian serial killer who committed at least twelve murders in Austria, West Germany, Czechoslovakia and the United States.”
News report · Crime & Investigation ·
Jack Unterweger: Poet of Death“Jack Unterweger was found guilty of nine counts of murder; the Prague victim, all three Los Angeles victims and five in Austria.”
News report · Oxygen ·
Jack Unterweger Passed Himself Off As a Reformed Criminal, Then Killed Many More Victims“Shannon Exley was the first to be found on June 20, 1991, followed by Irina Rodriguez and Sherri Ann Long. All the victims were strangled with their own bras.”
News report · Biography.com ·
Jack Unterweger: Biography, Serial Killer, Movie, Crimes & Facts“In 1976, Unterweger was convicted of the murder of Margaret Schaefer and sentenced to life in prison.”
News report · Grokipedia ·
Jack Unterweger“On October 26, 1974, Unterweger lured 18-year-old West German Margaret Schäfer to a secluded wooded area near Frauental, Styria, Austria, where he attempted a sexual assault; when she resisted, he strangled her to death using her own brassiere as a ligature.”
Other · Radford University ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Unterweger, Jack“Found guilty 9 counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison on 06/28/1994. Unterweger commits suicide in a prison in Austria on 06/29/1994.”
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