They were once bitter enemies: lawyer Astrid Wagner, Jack Unterweger’s last lover, and ex-CID chief Ernst Geiger, who brought him down. Thirty years after his death, the two now discuss the serial killer in front of an audience. Beforehand they gave the “Krone” a heated double interview.
There are two opposites meeting here: SHE – ‘Jack’s’ last lover, who will probably never stop casting doubt on his guilt. HE – the investigator who convicted Unterweger for his heinous actions. Both have recently written books about the serial killer. Of course we defend Wagner’s; Accusatory of course, Geiger’s.
Now the two are sitting at a table in the Viennese Café Landtmann. Unterweger once gave lectures there, performed his pieces and often gave interviews. About his capital crime against a woman in 1974; about his early release from prison in 1990; but especially about his career as a writer, which he started in prison.
The conviction, the suicide
But let’s look back to June 1994. At that time, the spectacular trial of the perpetrator took place in the Graz Regional Court. The verdict will then follow on June 28: life imprisonment for nine charges of murdering prostitutes. “Jack” then hanged himself in his cell with the cord of a pair of sweatpants. What went through Wagner and Geiger’s minds after they learned of the suicide?
“I burst into tears,” the lawyer remembers. “I was surprised that he took this step,” the researcher said. And yes, he knows that ‘Astrid’ – he has been on a first-name basis with her for a long time – ‘initially held him responsible for Unterweger’s suicide’. Even publicly. Which she was soon prohibited by a court order. “And our feud grew even bigger.”
Surprising: “For almost an eternity we only knew each other through the media.” Even during the serial killer trial, the two never said they saw each other: “We were in the courtroom on different days.”
“Jack just called him ‘drool'”
Wagner: “During my visit, Jack kept telling me that Ernst Geiger – whom he called ‘Geifer’ – was obsessed with destroying him. Without taking into account evidence that exonerates him. Such as the fact that a prostitute initially said positive things about him – and only said negative things about him after questioning. Or that for some victims it was completely unclear until the end when they were murdered.”
Jack Unterweger, born on August 16, 1950, grew up under problematic circumstances with his grandfather in Carinthia. He committed thefts and burglaries when he was young. In April 1973, he was finally suspected of murdering a young woman, but ultimately no evidence was needed for charges.
It is certain that he murdered a 23-year-old in 1974. He was tried for this in 1975 and received a life sentence. While in prison, he began writing poems and novels; well-known artists became aware of him and celebrated him as a model example of successful rehabilitation.
The result: in 1990 the ‘port poet’ was released early. Shortly afterwards, a series of murders of prostitutes began. ‘Jack’ is said to have executed eleven prostitutes – in Vienna, Styria, Vorarlberg, the Czech Republic and Los Angeles – using the most brutal torture methods.
In 1992, the police tracked him down and shortly before his planned arrest he fled to Miami, but was quickly arrested there.
In 1994, during his trial at the Graz Regional Court, Unterweger was convicted – “only” – of nine murders. A few hours after the guilty verdict, he hanged himself in his cell.
The ex-CID chief dismisses these arguments in short words: “The prostitutes disappeared when Unterweger was near them. And what said witness said about his behavior was actually insignificant. The only important thing was that she could credibly confirm that he had been a street prostitute. And anyway – countless other facts spoke against him as well.”
Nevertheless, the perpetrator and his lawyers managed to convince some newspaper editors that ‘Jack’ was wrongly suspected. An opinion that – according to Geiger – “was subsequently adopted by a significant part of the population”.
An opinion “that became very widespread and strengthened when Astrid started to stand up for him. A sympathetic, beautiful, smart woman, and also a lawyer. Why would she tie herself to a murderer? – many people thought.”
“We made up after a talk show”
Postscript, addressed directly to Wagner: ‘By the way, I never understood why you did that.’ SHE: ‘I was young, I only knew Jack from his good, empathetic side.’
HE: “He had no good side, he was deeply evil.” SHE: “No one is all bad. Perhaps he had an evil side to him, and if so, it developed in him as a result of the torment he endured in childhood.”
“Anyway, a year and a half ago we were both guests in a German talk show about Unterweger. Then we reconciled over dinner. Since then we have had a relaxed relationship with each other.”
How many women did he actually kill?
Except when the two talk about ‘Jack’ – and, for example, about his number of victims. Geiger: “I assume he actually committed thirteen murders. The one he confessed to in the 1970s; another, also at the time, but which could not be proven. And all eleven crimes for which he was charged in 1994.”
Wagner: “I think he was ‘framed’ for crimes – at least some of them.” And his guilt is in any case ‘controversial’, after all ‘two of the eight jurors acquitted him’. HIM: “Because unfortunately you did great PR for him.” SHE: “Or maybe because he wasn’t a serial killer after all?”
The two will soon discuss the perpetrator in public under the title: “He separates them – he unites them.” Event dates can be found on their Facebook pages.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
