Of: 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, who 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 neighbor 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 anti-depressive. 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 defense 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.
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.
She remembers 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 favor 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 interfere
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 ad. 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.
The Shock of Vienna:
Elfriede Blauensteiner
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 maximum 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.
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 favor 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 media show 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 neighbor, 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... In 1994
Elfriede Blauensteiner met retired Friedrich Doecker (64) and married him. His honey
moon 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 humor 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 humor and convicted her in two more cases of murder.
While Elfriede Blauensteiner was serving her life term in
Austrian Prison "Schwarzau" she complained about the movie "Die
Gottesanbeterin" (The Mantis) as it was based on her "story" – that
at least she had deserved a Liz Taylor starring...
As Always, stay safe !
Bird
***
