Franz Fuchs was born on December 12, 1949, in Gralla, a small town in Styria, Austria. He grew up in a family that held strong nationalistic views. His father worked in the military, and his early life was strongly influenced by his father's beliefs. From a young age, Franz was known to be a quiet and withdrawn child. He often had trouble making friends and preferred to spend time alone.

Franz Fuchs was a serial killer who used explosive devices to carry out his attacks. He started his first wave of mail bombs in December 1993. His early victims included a priest, a journalist, and the Mayor of Vienna. In one of the explosions, the mayor lost part of his hand. Other mail bombs were sent to various individuals and organizations that supported refugees or were seen as friendly to foreigners.

On February 5, 1995, Fuchs carried out his first fatal attack. He used a pipe bomb to kill four Romani people in Oberwart. The bomb was attached to a sign that had a message targeting the Romani community. The next day, he set off another bomb in a nearby area that mainly housed Austrians of Croatian descent, which injured a garbage worker.

Between June and December 1995, he sent three more waves of mail bombs. Some of these were directed at public figures like a television host and a politician, but they were not harmed as they did not open the letters. In his later attacks, some mail bombs exploded early, while others were neutralized before they could cause damage.

Fuchs became paranoid over time. On October 1, 1997, while being followed by police, he detonated an explosive device he had in his car. He intended to end his life but survived, losing both hands in the process. He was arrested immediately afterward.

Following his arrest, Fuchs had a trial, where he displayed disruptive behavior. He was sentenced to life in prison in March 1999. On February 26, 2000, he was found dead in his prison cell. The cause of death was ruled a suicide by hanging. There were questions about how he managed to carry out the hanging, given his lack of hands and the constant surveillance he was under.

After the case was closed, doubts lingered about whether he acted completely alone. His living space contained more explosive devices, and there were no signs of the equipment needed to make them. Some of his letters even contained knowledge that seemed beyond his capabilities.