Jack Unterweger arriving at federal court in Miami in March for an extradition proceeding. Jack Unterweger, center, leaves federal court in Miami Friday, Feb. Unterweger, an Austrian national is wanted in his country where he is a suspect in the deaths of seven prostitutes. A judge ordered him held for extradition. Jack Unterweger had a passion for writing.
In his spare time, he indulged in his other obsession — murdering prostitutes. A few days after the girl disappeared, hunters found her naked body in a wooded area. She had been beaten and strangled with her bra. Police connected Unterweger to the crime through a confession from his girlfriend. He was 24 when he was arrested for the killing in January In August , Theresia gave birth to a son who would never know his father, an American soldier with whom she had a fling in Italy. When Jack was a toddler, his mother was arrested and went to jail.
Unterweger depicted the man as a violent alcoholic. By his teens, Jack already had a long criminal record, including an arrest for assaulting a prostitute. It might have been the best thing that ever happened to him. The barely literate convict made good use of inmate rehabilitation services.
He learned to read, then to write, and discovered a surprising talent for putting words together. He started giving readings of his works from jail. Unterweger declared that writing the book had released him from his demons.
He no longer recognized the killer he had been. Among the smart set, he was celebrated as a shining example of resocialization, the hope that criminals, no matter how violent, could be cleaned up and returned to a productive life in society.
