Werner Kniesek

Infobox Criminal
subject_name = Werner Kniesek

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date_of_birth = 1946
place_of_birth = Austria
date_of_death =
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charge = mass murder
penalty = life sentence
status =
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spouse = unnamed prostitute
parents =
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Werner Kniesek was an Austrian mass murderer convicted for the murder of a family of three in 1980. He was on a three-day leave from prison at the time.

Early life

Born in 1946, Werner Kniesek was the illegitimate son of an African-American G.I. and his widowed mother. He has been characterized as well-behaved during his early youth,Fact|date=April 2008 but soon began stealing and running away from home.

The young Kerniek had long harbored aspiration to leave Austria, and on June 5, 1962 he decided to act on this. He stole a large amount of money from his mother, but she discovered the missing cash. When she threatened to turn him in, Werner stabbed her with a bread knife. He left his injured mother behind, and went to Hamburg on a train. His mother survived and he was arrested two days later. He was sentenced to two years in prison for the assault.

After being freed from prison, he married a prostitute. Shortly thereafter, he was sentenced to prison once again for multiple burglaries and for the attempted murder of a 73 year old woman.

The murders

In January 1980, Kniesek was allowed a three-day leave from prison. He traveled to St. Poelten, where he broke into the home of 55-year-old Gertrude Altreiter. While exploring the house, he came upon her paralyzed 27-year-old son, the only one at home at the time. He left the boy alone at the time, feeling that he was no threat.

While Kniesek was still searching the house, Gertrude returned home with her 25-year-old daughter. Werner subdued them and tied them up in separate room. He proceeded to strangle the boy, showed the mother the body, then killed her. He abused the daughter for hours before finally strangling her. He also killed the family's cat.

Kniesek spent the night in the Altreiter's house with the bodies. In the morning, he stuffed the bodies into the trunk of their Mercedes and drove to Salzburg. There, he aroused suspicion for his nervous behavior and briefcase full of money. When he eventually returned to his car the police where waiting for him.

After a suicide attempt, Kniesek eventually confessed to the murders, and at trial was sentenced to life in prison. In 1983, he made an unsuccessful escape attempt.

In populaur culture

A movie called Angst was made by the Austrian Gerald Kargl in 1983 and was inspired by Werner Kniesek murders.

References

* Fuchs, Christian [1996] (2002). "Bad Blood". Creation Books.