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Elfriede
BLAUENSTEINER
A.K.A.: "The Black Widow"
Classification: Serial
killer
Characteristics:
Poisoner - Obsessive
gambler - To fuel her expensive addiction
Number of victims: 3
- 5 +
Date of murder: 1981 - 1995
Date of arrest:
January 1996
Date of birth:
January 22, 1931
Victim profile:
Her husband, two former lovers and two other men
Method of murder:
Poisoning (Euglucon)
Location: Vienna,
Austria
Status:
Sentenced to life in prison in 1997 and 2001. Died on November 18,
2003
Elfriede Blauensteiner (22
January 1931 – 18 November 2003), dubbed the "Black Widow", was an
Austrian serial killer who murdered at least three victims by poison.
In each case, she inherited the victim's possessions.
Blauensteiner died from a brain
tumor on 18 November 2003 in a Vienna Hospital.
Elfriede Blauensteiner
(* 22. 1931 in Vienna, " 16 November 2003 in Vienna) was a which found
as a "black widow" into the Austrian crime film-alga-laminated
introduction.
The 1931 in Vienna born woman
poisoned its life companion, its neighbour as well as a further man,
whom she became acquainted with by one of it given up contact
announcement. It gave Euglucon to its victims to blood-sugar-lower a
medicine, combined with an antidepressive. Before it killed its
victims, these had their "nurse" possession and real estate properties
bequeaths.
She was condemned first 1997 in
Krems spoken for a murder case guiltily (lifelong), 2001 it for two
further cases in Vienna because of murder. Their court appearances
were legendary, with which it partly pointed any debt from itself.
Admits became an appearance, with which it arose with a golden
crucifix, it up stretched and said "I washes my hands in innocence".
The OGH at that time president Johann Rzeszut at that time
injustice dimension of one ", which is too large actually for a
terrestrial Court of Justice", spoke. Their defence counsel was
the Austrian Elmar Kresbach.
Elfriede Blauensteiner sat some years
in the woman Mrs. Schwarzau, before she died 2003 at the age of 72
years at the consequences of a brain tumor.
Elfriede Blauensteiner
(5+)
On January 11, 1996, this 64-year-old Austrian
widow confessed to killing five people. Although she later recanted
her confession authorities believe she is responsible for more deaths
in a killing spree spanning over a decade. Dubbed the "Black Widow" by
the local press, Elfriede confessed to murdering her husband, two
former lovers and two other men because "They deserved to die." An
obsessive gambler, authorities believe she killed them to fuel her
expensive addiction.
Her first victim was the janitor of her apartment
building who, in 1981, she "helped commit suicide" because he was
abusing his wife and children. Next came her second husband, Rudolf
Blauensteiner, who died in August 1992 after being in a mysterious
coma for 10 days. Four months later, a wealthy woman who was
Blauensteiner's neighbour in Vienna died after being cared for by her.
Coincidentally, she had just changed her will in favour of Frau Elle.
In June 1995, a 65-year-old man whom she met through a newspaper
personal add died after spending a year in her care.
One octogenarian "companion" died of cancer before
she could intefere with his healthcare. Ever the resourceful criminal,
Frau Elle falsified his will to pocket a $15,000 inheritance. Another
would-be-victim who survived her care said that although he had fought
in World War II and had been a prisoner of war in Russia for five
years, he never felt worse than he did after eating a meal cooked by
his loving Elfriede.
Mrs. Blauensteiner's trial in Krems started on
February 10, 1997. Because of a lack of physical evidence, Elle was
only charged with the murder of Alois Pichler, a 77-year-old pensioner
who died in November 1995, a few months after meeting Frau Elle
through a newspaper add. Friedrich Kutschera, the state prosecutor,
accused Blauensteiner of putting at least 70 doses of euglucon in his
milk, a drug to lower his blood sugar.
The day before the widower's death Frau Elle gave
him 20 anti-depressant tablets, left him in a room with the windows
open all night and then put him in a cold bath, causing his fatal
heart attack. The prosecutor also accused Harald Schmidt,
Blauensteiner's former attorney, of helping her put the pensioner in
the tub and of falsifying his will so that she could collect an
$100,000 inheritance. Frau Elle is said to have learned about drugs to
lower blood sugar when she treated a diabetic male friend who died in
1986.
On her first day in court, Elle appeared in a beige
suit and clutching a little golden crucifix. "My hands are clean. I've
nothing to hide," she told the throng of reporters that crowded around
the steps of the courthouse in Krems, a town 30 miles west of Vienna.
Asked if she would plead guilty, she said: "I would never kill. I
believe in my innocence." Then, in a strange existential moment, she
proclaimed: "Death is only the beginning of eternal life."
Meanwhile Elfi has released her memoirs in the
Austrian weekly "News". In them she claims that she has done nothing
evil, because she only wanted to help her husbands. Always the
optimist, Elfriede still hopes to marry again once her legal troubles
wash over.
Unfortunately for her, on March 7, 1997, she was
found guilty of the first degree murder of Alois Pichlerand sentenced
to life in prison. Schmidt -- her former lawyer -- got seven years for
helping the frau with the crime and forging the victim's will.
Mayhem.net
Elfriede
Blauensteiner
February 10, 1997
The trial of Austria's
"Black Widow" started in the town of Krems. A sell-out event, the
tumultuous crowd of journalist and cameramen gathered around the
courthouse to get a glimpse of the lethal granny. Holding a little
golden cross in her right hand, Frau Elle fielded questions from
reporters as she repeated her claims of innocence.
Elfriede Blauensteiner
March 7, 1997
A jury in Krems, found Austria's black widow, Elfriede
Blauensteiner, guilty of the first degree murder of Alois Pichler.
Elfi was sentenced to life in prison -- the maximun sentence possible
-- for poisoning her geriatric lover. Harald Schmidt, her former
lawyer, got seven years for helping the frau with the crime and
forging the victim's will.
Elfriede Blauensteiner
The publicity-seeking merry widow
Elfriede "Sugar" Blauensteiner had 2 obsessions: Gambling and a
vivid interest in pharmacy.
Her last victim, retired and wealthy Alois Pichler
(77) answered her personal ad in 1995 - and survived the Black Widow´s
care just 5 weeks.
With the helping hands of her attorney, Harald
Schmidt, she faked Pichlers last will in her favour for a profit of
appr. 190,000 EURO. The victim´s nephew - who meant to be heir -
became suspicious and informed police.
Elfriede Blauensteiner confessed immediately to 5
murders (including her first husband, Rudolf Blauensteiner) using the
drug "Euglucon" (lowering blood sugar), but withdrew her confessions
soon after.
The autopsy of Alois Pichler proofed a fatal dose
of "Anafranil" (an antidepressant). Furthermore there where traces of
"Euglucon" found. Not enough, Elfriede Blauensteiner and Harald
Schmidt had also dragged Alois Pichler into a bathing tub, showered
the victim with cold water and opened the windows to winter
temperatures. Then they had left him to his fate.
Elfriede Blauensteiner was sentenced 1997 to
lifetime prison for murder and fraud - and had her mediashow
throughout the trial, laughing and waving to the journalists... Her
attorney got away with 7 years.
In 2001 the second trial took place - after
exhumation of two more suspected victims confirmed more traces of
deadly caretaking - and Euglucon. There was a wide public discussion
about the costs of a second trial - as Austrian law does not allow an
additional verdict after the maximum penalty. The second trial was
held anyway - "for psychological reasons".
After her neighbour, Franziska Koeberl (84) had
handed her over a savings book with appr. 170,000 EURO and the
password "heaven" in 1992, she soon passed by - diagnosed with "low
blood sugar level". With 230 visits to casinos per year, the money did
not last long enough...
1994 Elfriede Blauensteiner met retired Friedrich
Doecker (64) and married him. His honeymoon lasted until he
transferred his house over to his spouse. This had a fatal effect on
his blood sugar level...
The death of her first husband, Rudolf, was not
subject of the trial - she admitted anyway, that with him she just
"experimented" with Euglucon "for him gaining weight".
The merry widow showed up with some black humour in
the second trial as well. When she was asked how the drugs could be
found in the victims, she blamed it on the pathologist "at last he
became professor just by my case - he found Euglucon always on
Blauensteiner victims"...
The jury had less a sense of humour and convicted
her in two more cases of murder.
Elfriede Blauensteiner serves her lifeterm in
Austrian Prison "Schwarzau" and recently complained about the movie
"Die Gottesanbeterin" (The Mantis) as basing on her "story" - at least
she had deserved a Liz Taylor starring...
The Black Widows announced memoirs have never been
published...
