Shocking Unearthing: Remains of Vanished Mother and Child Found in Freezers in Austria
The bodies of a mother aged 34 and her young daughter, 10 have been located inside freezing appliances in an residence in the western part of Austria.
The deceased, a woman from Syria and her child, who had been missing for several months, were uncovered on Friday. The cooling units were hidden behind a false wall in the apartment, situated in the Innsbruck area.
Two men, a Austrian man, 55 and his brother aged 53, were taken into custody in the month of June. The older man, a colleague of the female victim, told law enforcement last week that there had been an unfortunate event—but rejected intentional killing.
Speaking to the media earlier, a spokesman for the public prosecutor's office stated the pair were being held on "strong suspicion of homicide".
The identities of those involved have been withheld by law enforcement, in following local legislation.
Their going missing was initially flagged by the woman's cousin, who lives in Germany, on July 25, 2024.
Police revealed the 55-year-old suspect claimed at the time she had gone on an extended trip with her child to visit her parents in Turkey.
Her bank card was then noted as being active abroad several times.
Yet when investigators searched the mother's apartment, her mobile phone was found.
An individual also reported overhearing a commotion in the apartment, and screams of "mother" on the date the mother and child were presumed to have gone missing.
An expanded official inquiry was started, with investigators discovering multiple communications originating from the mother's device—such as a resignation letter to her employer and messages to the 55-year-old suspect.
Officials stated a significant cash transfer was also moved to the suspect.
The head of the State Criminal Police Office informed reporters on recently that a rented space had been rented out before the vanishing and a freezer had been placed there.
The male siblings extracted the cooling unit from the facility on the day the victims disappeared, she said. And a shortly afterward, they acquired an additional appliance.
Officials say they think this indicates the deaths were premeditated.
"How they died remains unclear due to the condition of the bodies," the official stated.
Mayr—representing the state—noted the precise timeline is yet to be determined, but the victims were carefully placed and not discovered during a earlier inspection.
While the men were detained in the summer, it was not until the 12th of November that the 55-year-old admitted to an event and to storing the victims. He denies any murderous intent, officials confirmed.
In a related development, his younger brother acknowledged a concealment but denied awareness of a murder.
The two suspects are currently in custody awaiting trial in prisons in separate locations, approximately 189 kilometers away from each other.
Through a combined announcement, the nation's official for women's affairs and the top legal representative said the "suspected killing of two... constitutes the swift and cruel conclusion of a mother and child and reveals a heartless setup".
"Women and girls are being killed due to the mere fact that they are female," they added.
"Femicides are a strongly established and widespread concern that we must combat firmly."