Disturbing Unearthing: Remains of Vanished Mother and Child Located in Freezers in Austria
The deceased of a 34-year-old woman and her 10-year-old daughter have been found inside freezing appliances in an residence in western Austria.
The victims, a Syrian woman and her child, who had been unaccounted for for a number of months, were found on Friday. The cooling units were concealed behind a plasterboard wall in the dwelling, located in the city of Innsbruck.
Two men, a 55-year-old Austrian and his brother aged 53, were detained in the month of June. The 55-year-old, a work associate of the female victim, stated to authorities last week that there had been an unfortunate event—but denied homicide.
Speaking to the media recently, a official for the state prosecutor stated the brothers were being kept in custody on "high likelihood of intentional killing".
The identities of those involved have not been released by authorities, in accordance with national regulations.
Their going missing was originally brought to light by the female victim's relative, who lives in Germany, on 25 July 2024.
Authorities said the 55-year-old suspect informed them at the time she had gone on an long journey with her child to see her family in the nation of Turkey.
Her bank card was then found to have been used overseas on multiple occasions.
However when officers searched the victim's residence, her cellphone was found.
An individual also reported overhearing a disturbing sound in the dwelling, and shouts of "mother" on the date the mother and child were thought to have disappeared.
An expanded criminal probe was initiated, with investigators uncovering multiple communications sent from the mother's device—such as a job termination message to her employer and messages to the male colleague.
Law enforcement confirmed a amount in the thousands was also sent to the suspect.
A senior police official informed media representatives on recently that a rented space had been secured before the victims' disappearance and a freezing appliance had been installed within.
The brothers removed the freezer from the storage space on the very day the mother and daughter went missing, Tersch stated. And a week later, they acquired a second unit.
Investigators believe they believe this indicates the demise were planned in advance.
"The cause of death remains unclear due to the state of decomposition of the remains," Tersch commented.
The prosecutor's spokesman—from the legal authorities—noted the precise timeline is still unclear, but the remains were professionally hidden and were not found during a prior examination.
While the brothers were taken into custody in June, it was only on 12 November that the 55-year-old admitted to an occurrence and to storing the victims. He disputes any intent to kill, officials said.
Meanwhile, his brother confessed to a cover-up but denied awareness of a murder.
The pair are presently in detention before court proceedings in jails in two Austrian cities, approximately 189 kilometers away from each other.
Through a combined announcement, Austria's Minister for Women and Justice Minister said the "alleged double murder... represents the sudden and brutal end of two individuals and exposes a heartless setup".
"Female individuals are falling victim to homicide due to the sole reason that they are women and girls," they went on to say.
"Murders of women are a strongly established and society-wide problem that we must combat firmly."
