John Leake (1)

A fascinating book which tells the true story of Jack Unterweger, the Austrian serial killer. Jack admitted to the murder he was convicted of and blamed his illegitimate birth, his unfortunate childhood and his youth. He wrote plays and novels in prison and so charmed the citizens of Vienna that he was allowed to give public readings in the prison cafeteria. With such dramatic public support, 15 years were knocked off his sentence and upon being paroled, this celebrity killed 11 more women. Then at the behest of his 18-year-old girlfriend, they became fugitives in Miami and she danced in strip clubs to support him. Women adored this man. He had no fewer than two or three girlfriends at one time. He kept detailed records of his sexual encounters, bedding over forty in an 18-month period. And most of them knew he was a convicted murderer, a sadist! As a woman, that just boggles my mind. His trial was an absolute circus. OJ had nothing on Jack. As a narcissist, Jack was so confident he would be found innocent. When the guilty verdict came in the FBI profiler told the warden to put him on a suicide watch but they didn't take the advice. And before they could even transfer him, Jack hung himself. After all his claims of innocence and his theory of a police frame-up, he used the same ligature knot on himself that he had used in all 11 murders. But I must say the most amazing thing I read was that he committed his first (known) murder on the very day of my birth! I had chill bumps all the way down to my toes.… (more)

Interesting read about Austrian society and the parole of a murderer. Sentenced to life for killing a young girl, Jack Unterweger begins to write from prison and catches the attention of important people who push for his release. Upon release, prostitutes in both Graz and Vienna are murdered and police begin to connect them to the same killer. One policeman, who targeted Unterweger for another unsolved killing, refuses to give up on his case and begins to bring attention back to Jack. Connections between police agencies, including Los Angeles, ultimately bring Jack to trial.… (more)