meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
RedHanded

Episode 142 - Johann “Jack” Unterweger: The Poet of Death

RedHanded

Wondery | RedHanded

True Crime

4.518.2K Ratings

🗓️ 9 April 2020

⏱️ 62 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In Austria in 1974, Johann Unterweger was sentenced to life for the murder of a young woman. From behind bars he was soon writing beautiful poetry and painting a heartbreaking image of a man who had endured a hard childhood, made some mistakes - but who was now the poster boy for rehabilitation.

Johann went in to prison an illiterate murderer, and with the help of his many elite supporters, he came out early - as a bestselling author. But everything wasn’t as it seemed, and this is the story of a serial killer who tricked not only his many victims, but also an entire nation.


Support the show and get access to weekly bonus content on Patreon!


References:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-30-me-10223-story.html

https://www.thelocal.at/20160811/murder-victim-identified-by-austrian-police-after-23-years

https://allthatsinteresting.com/jack-unterweger

https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/jack-unterweger

https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/jack-unterweger-poet-of-death/crimes

https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/jack-unterweger-poet-of-death

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/murderers-final-freedom-the-bizarre-life-of-jack-unterweger-poet-and-killer-of-prostitutes-ends-at-1417861.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/murderers-final-freedom-the-bizarre-life-of-jack-unterweger-poet-and-killer-of-prostitutes-ends-at-1417861.html

https://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-austrian-jack-unterweger/cat-mcauliffe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOoosALzZFM

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3i3zac

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/may/04/michael-fassbender-play-killer-jack-unterweger-entering-hades

https://peoplepill.com/people/jack-unterweger/

https://the-line-up.com/jack-unterweger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOoosALzZFM

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Prime members, you can listen to Redhanded early and ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the app today.

0:18.0

I'm Hannah. I'm Sruti. And welcome to this week's Redhanded. It's not that weeks mean anything anymore.

0:25.0

No, nothing means anything. It's just one endless expanse of being trapped in my house. Though I'm not complaining it's the right thing to do and all that.

0:35.0

But how is everyone doing? I mean, if you're anything like us, probably not doing so great. I am starting to question my judgements, Hannah, on.

0:47.0

And here is a prime example of why maybe I'm not to be trusted anymore because I may well be losing it. On Friday night, I drunk probably two very large glasses of wine and then had a shower and then stood in front of my bathroom mirror just dead at myself for about five minutes. And then honestly contemplated the idea of cutting myself a fringe.

1:11.0

I was close. I was close. I have purchases. I can't imagine you with a friend. I mean, have you ever had one? I have maybe for like a little maybe for like a few months and then it took me like for 10 years to grow out. It's not a look for me. That's my shoe. But it all happened.

1:31.0

My housemate Adam was like lying on the living room floor and he was like, Hannah, have you ever bleached your hair? And it's like, yes, Adam. Why? He was like, well, I kind of what you know M&M in like the early two that Adam was like, Adam's hair is so dark as well.

1:47.0

You have to understand that if we do that, we are running the big risk that it's going to be orange and it's going to burn and he was like, it's definitely going to go orange. I don't know. You probably have already seen this, but I'm in just like you very much a space of BBC rolling news and murder research right now.

2:06.0

So to break it up, I've just started watching on YouTube those hairdresser reacts videos. They are the funniest thing. I was like actually crying with laughter. Like it's just this hairdresser who watches people doing like DIY at home bleaches. It is just like, what are you doing? What are you doing? That's that's what's going to happen. You're going to end up with orange hair. I've loved so much about bleaching that I didn't need to know.

2:33.0

No, I think he's gone off the idea now because his PlayStation arrived this morning. So we'll never see him again. That's that's it. That's what you need. You need a distraction. Everyone does. I'm still knitting. I haven't done my Nitty-Day fiance update on IGTV yet purely because I just look like shit basically all the time. So that is the biggest impeding factor. Not my lack of knitting progress. Let that be clear.

2:57.0

We literally just had a zoom meeting and he just flat out did not turn her camera on. It was just a black box. It's a dirty over it. I can't. I couldn't. It's fine with you, but I don't know that man. Come in on zoom. Oh my God. I was a bit surprised that he left his camera on because I was like, oh no, a person. I hate it. I came in last night. Oh God, they've both got their videos on. I'm just going to be silent for a bit. No one notices.

3:26.0

It's just too much. It's too much. But we hope that you guys are doing well probably from the general aura of our quite frantic voices. You can probably tell that we're not doing too well. But we have got you quite the case.

3:42.0

How did the German go? How did the whole German go with this? What you mean everything being in German and being able to understand it? Even that thing? Sure. Yeah.

3:52.0

That little minor thing. Honestly, we'll find out. We will. I'm excited. I'm amazed that this guy is not more well known because it's bonkers. But we've got for you today for your listening, your lushing plushie for your listening pleasure.

4:09.0

Johannes just got this tiny little doll hand on a fucking stick in the recording box with her. It's so. Wait, I'm going to screenshot. Wait, let me put it on the right because you guys need to see it. That is the best thing. Okay, right guys.

4:24.0

I have taken a screenshot of us recording by WhatsApp chat so you can see what I'm currently having to deal with for recording. I think it's so funny.

4:34.0

I'm going to go try find one and next week. Okay, I will have the same. Double hands. Double hands. Double tiny hands. So today before we get any more off-dragging to our own absolutely. I have to tell you one thing about doll hands before we move on.

4:49.0

I just remind me of my friend when we were growing up, we were like probably 11 her parents have got like a big or barn in the back of their garden. We're just hanging out in the barn and we found this little plastic like baby doll and it's hands had been chewed off by a rat.

5:04.0

Oh, never. It's an image that has never left me in badger just a fucking plastic little naked baby doll and it's hands have just been eaten by rats. It's horrific. How did you know it was rats?

5:16.0

No, tiny people. I mean, the bottom is just gone on an absolute rampage. On that note, if you haven't yet sent us a ghost story for our ghost story, many sides will be doing. Please send them to red handed Patreon at gmail.com. It's not going to be just for patrons. It's going to be for everybody.

5:33.0

But please use that email address because I just spent an hour cleaning our car. I was like, fuck, this is so great. I know I was just like, you know what, I've had a lot of coffee, I've had a Coke Zero and I've had three mow arms.

5:45.0

I'm clearing out the symbol. It today is the day it's happening. So send it to red handed picture on at gmail. We're going to do mini-sode on that and I love people suggestions. It's called red haunted eye reckon.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Wondery | RedHanded, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Wondery | RedHanded and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.