Franz Schmidt

Franz Schmidt (24 February 1930 – 14 May 2017) was an Austrian serial killer who was twice sentenced to life imprisonment, once for a child murder in 1957 and for a double murder in 1984. Accounting sentences for other convictions up to his release in 2013, he was one of the longest-serving convicts in the country's history. After his release, he moved to Wels, married and had a child.

In 1957, Schmidt was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Innsbruck Regional Court for killing a 14-year-old with a pitchfork handle, in addition to receiving an 8-year sentence for arson and attempted murder of another young woman.

Double murder On 14 June 1984, Schmidt broke into a house in Redlham, where he mercilessly stabbed to death 39-year-old Gertrude Reiter and slashed the neck of her 3-year-old daughter, Barbara. Their bodies were found by the head of the family, Franz, who quickly notified the gendarmes. After a few months of gathering evidence and witness testimonies, the police arrested Schmidt on August 3.

While searching through the suspect's house, traces of blood whose blood type matched one of the victims were found on Schmidt's clothing.

Release and aftermath After spending more than 53 years behind bars, the 83-year-old Franz Schmidt was released in early 2013 on the basis of positive reports from psychiatrists, as well as his old age and failing health.

Files related to the Redlham murders are exhibited at the Crime and Gendarmerie Museum at Scharnstein Castle.