He Kept His Daughter in the Basement for 24 YEARS | Murder, Mystery & Makeup

Josef Fritzl, an Austrian born in 1935, went on to commit heinous crimes hidden behind the façade of a family man and professional. His troubled upbringing and criminal behavior, which emerged in the 1960s, suggest a pattern of predatory behavior that escalated to unthinkable levels.

Josef Fritzl was born on April 9th, 1935, in Amstetten, Austria. His father, Josef Fritzl Sr., was a severe alcoholic who abandoned the family when Josef was four years old and later died in World War II. His mother, Maria Nening Fritzl, was described as intimidating and often subjected Josef to beatings, instilling in him a deep sense of humiliation and fear.

Josef Fritzl was born in 1935 in Austria and had a troubled upbringing with an abusive mother and an alcoholic father who abandoned the family.

Fritzl's upbringing was marred by abuse and neglect, growing up with a mother who was physically violent and emotionally distant. He was an only child, referred to as an "alibi child," born to prove his mother's fertility. His mother's mistreatment left him feeling weak and humiliated, and she never showed him love. Josef had his mother locked in the attic of his home, taking extreme measures to keep her where he wanted, by putting a lock on the door and bricking up the window, and even misleading neighbors into believing she was dead. She remained locked up for about 20 years until her death in 1980.

Fritzl married his wife Rosemarie in 1956 and the couple had seven children together, but Fritzl's criminal behavior began to emerge in the 1960s with unsolved murders and a rape conviction.

In 1956, Fritzl married his wife, Rosemarie, and they went on to have seven children together. However, during this period, his criminal behavior became apparent. In the 1960s, he was suspected but never convicted of unsolved murders and rapes. His wife Rosemarie remained unaware of his criminal life, he even managed to hide the fact that he served a prison sentence for rape from her, telling their children he was away at work for a year during this period.

Fritzl worked as an electrical engineer and technical salesman, as well as operating a guest house with his wife, but he used these jobs and opportunities to target and commit crimes against women.

Despite his family life and careers as an electrical engineer, te ...

The case of Elizabeth Fritzl, who was imprisoned by her father Josef Fritzl in a secret basement prison, represents a chilling example of extreme abuse and control.

In 1984, Fritzl drugged and imprisoned his daughter Elizabeth in a secret, elaborate basement prison he had constructed over several years.

Josef Fritzl started preparing the cellar around 1981-1982 and by August 1984, he drugged his daughter Elizabeth with chloroform and locked her away in the hidden prison. The basement, originally 380 square feet, expanded to 590 square feet as Fritzl forced the captive family to dig out soil for this purpose. The cramped, dark, windowless space with concrete walls and ceilings just under six feet high, lacked sunlight and fresh air. Elizabeth was chained for the first year and later allowed more freedom of movement within the cellar.

Fritzl kept Elizabeth captive in the basement for 24 years, raping her repeatedly and fathering 7 children with her, one of whom died shortly after birth.

Over the 24 years of captivity, Elizabeth bore seven children, one of whom died shortly after birth and was cremated by Fritzl. During these years, he raped her frequently and subjected her to further humiliation by forcing her to watch pornographic films and re-enact scenes.

Fritzl went to great lengths to conceal Elizabeth's captivity, including fabricating stories about her running away and having her write letters to maintain the deception.

To maintain the ruse of Elizabeth's disappearance, Fritzl claimed to the outside world that she had joined a cult. He produced handwritten letters from Elizabeth, which she had written under duress, to reinforce this story. Fritzl would occasionally leave the children on his doorstep, feigning surprise and suggesting they were abandoned by Elizabeth who couldn't care for them. This elaborate deception persisted for years.

The basement prison Fritzl created was an intricate, multi-room setup designed to keep Elizabeth and her children completely isolated, with no sunlight and limited access.

The basement prison was a maze-like structure with eight locked doors leading to a narrow corridor, a small kitchen area, a tiny bathroom, and two small bedrooms, all situated under the house. Fritzl use ...

Josef Fritzl faced trial, conviction, and sentencing for his horrendous crimes that were brought to light when one of his captive children became critically ill.

Fritzl's crimes were finally uncovered in 2008 when one of the captive children became severely ill and had to be taken to the hospital, raising suspicions.

On April 19th, 2008, Elisabeth's eldest daughter Kirsten fell unconscious because of severe sickness and life-threatening kidney failure. Josef Fritzl, under pressure, agreed to allow the seriously ill Kirsten to be taken to the hospital. Although Fritzl returned Elisabeth to the basement after Kirsten was removed, the condition of the sick child at the hospital raised suspicions due to her pallor and vitamin D deficiency.

When police and hospital staff grew suspicious and police were notified, Josef presented a note that he claimed was from Elisabeth to the hospital, but this was inadequate to [restricted term] suspicions. Police detained Josef and Elisabeth for questioning. Initially, Elisabeth remained silent, but she revealed the shocking truth about her 24-year captivity when told her children could be taken from her.

Fritzl was convicted on charges of rape, incest, enslavement, and the murder of one of the children, and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for 15 years.

Josef Fritzl's trial began on March 16th, 2009, with charges including rape, incest, enslavement, and the murder of one of the children. Initially, Fritzl pleaded not guilty to all charges. However, when Elisabeth appeared on the second day of the trial, Fritzl changed his plea to guilty on all counts the following day. On March 19th, 2009, Fritzl was found guilty of all charges and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for 15 years.

Despite be ...

Elizabeth and her children's escape from years of confinement brought to light the severe challenges they faced in adjusting to freedom and the external world.

After being freed from the basement, Elizabeth and her children faced immense challenges in adjusting to the outside world and their newfound freedom.

Once liberated, Elizabeth and her offspring grappled with a spectrum of first-time experiences: riding in a car, feeling rain, and adapting to the presence of others. They received medical and psychological treatment to cope with these changes. The children, never before exposed to sunlight, were in poor health and exhibited psychological trauma, such as tearing out hair, clogging toilets with clothing, and walking hunched - a physical adaptation to the basement's low ceilings. This trauma necessitated specialized therapy to help them acclimate to light and expansive spaces.

The children suffered from various health issues and psychological trauma from their years of confinement, requiring extensive medical and therapeutic care.

Therapy proved difficult as Elizabeth and her children were more traumatized than initially assumed. They required extensive help to adjust to the starkly new open spaces and the light they were not accustomed to. Their health was also undermined by the filthy conditions of their confinement, which promoted constant bacterial growth.

Elizabeth and her mother Rosemarie also struggled to rebuild their relationship, with Elizabeth harboring anger towards her mother for not intervening during her captivity.

In adjusting to life after their release, the family, including Rosemarie, tackled the psychological weight of their experience. Elizabeth confronted intense anger toward her mother for being passive during her horrific ordeal ...