Jack Unterweger

Writing

Jack Unterweger

Born 1950-08-16 · Judenburg, Styria, Austria

Johann "Jack" Unterweger was an Austrian serial killer who murdered prostitutes in several countries. He was also a writer and journalist. First convicted of a 1974 murder, he was released in 1990 as an example of rehabilitation. He became a journalist and minor celebrity, but within months started killing again. He committed suicide following a conviction for several murders. Austrian psychiatrist Dr. Reinhard Haller diagnosed him with narcissistic personality disorder in 1994. Jack Unterweger's life and crimes is the subject of many biographies, documentaries and feature films.

Acting credits

Jack Unterweger - The Charming Serial Killer poster
8.0

"He was attractive, cultivated, very sensitive, very empathetic". Lawyer Astrid Wagner's first impression when meeting the serial killer Jack Unterweger. As a young law student she had close contact with him: "It was a nice feeling to be needed." On June 28, 1994 Unterweger is convicted for the murder of nine prostitutes. Six hours later, he hangs himself in his cell. Twenty years later, Thema unrolls the incredible story of the woman murderer and asks former friends and other companions how Jack Unterweger influenced their lives.

Jack Unterweger - The Charming Serial Killer

2014

Poet of Death: Jack Unterweger poster
NR

Jack Unterweger was an Austrian serial killer who murdered several women before committing suicide in 1994. In 1976 jailed for murder but became a literary sensation while in prison. Out on parole, he killed nine prostitutes before being caught once more.

Poet of Death: Jack Unterweger

2004

The Vienna Strangler poster
3.0

The chilling story of Austrian author and serial killer Johann “Jack” Unterweger. Convicted in 1976 for the brutal murder of 18-year-old Margaret Schäfer, strangled with her own bra, Unterweger was sentenced to life in prison. Behind bars, he reinvented himself as a writer, publishing poetry, plays, and an acclaimed autobiography that portrayed his crimes as the product of a troubled youth. His transformation into a literary figure won him the support of intellectuals and politicians, who campaigned for his release. In 1990, after serving just 15 years, Unterweger walked free — hailed as a symbol of rehabilitation.... or was he?

The Vienna Strangler

2006

Behind the camera