Disturbing Discovery: Remains of Vanished Mum and Daughter Located in Freezers in Austria
The remains of a 34-year-old woman and her young daughter, 10 have been discovered inside freezers in an flat in the western part of Austria.
The victims, a Syrian woman and her daughter, who had been missing for several months, were detected on Friday. The cooling units were placed behind a plasterboard wall in the flat, located in the city of Innsbruck.
Two men, a Austrian man, 55 and his 53-year-old brother, were arrested in June. The older man, a work associate of the Syrian woman, told police last week that there had been an incident—but rejected murder.
Informing the media earlier, a official for the public prosecutor's office stated the two suspects were being held on "serious suspicion of intentional killing".
The names of those concerned have not been disclosed by police, in accordance with national regulations.
The family's disappearance was originally brought to light by the cousin of the mother, who resides in Germany, on 25 July 2024.
Investigators stated the 55-year-old suspect informed them at the time she had taken an prolonged visit with her child to see her family in Turkey.
The victim's bank card was then noted as being active abroad on multiple occasions.
However when officers examined the mother's apartment, her smartphone was found.
An individual also stated overhearing a commotion in the apartment, and screams of "mother" on the date the mother and child were presumed to have gone missing.
A wider criminal probe was launched, with investigators discovering several texts originating from the victim's mobile—among them a resignation letter to her workplace and communications to the male associate.
Officials confirmed a amount in the thousands was also moved to the individual.
The head of the State Criminal Police Office told reporters on recently that a storage unit had been secured before the mother and child went missing and a freezer had been placed there.
The male siblings took out the freezer from the unit on the very day the mother and daughter disappeared, Tersch stated. And a shortly afterward, they acquired another freezer.
Investigators say they think this suggests the demise were premeditated.
"The cause of death remains unclear due to the advanced decay of the bodies," the official commented.
Mayr—from the legal authorities—noted the precise timeline is not yet known, but the remains were carefully placed and went unnoticed during a previous house search.
Although the suspects were taken into custody in June, it was not until November 12 that the 55-year-old acknowledged an occurrence and to storing the victims. He disputes any intent to kill, authorities said.
At the same time, his brother admitted to a cover-up but denied awareness of a homicide.
The two suspects are at this time in detention before court proceedings in jails in separate locations, around 117 miles (189km) apart.
Through a combined announcement, Austria's Minister for Women and Justice Minister declared the "suspected killing of two... constitutes the sudden and brutal end of a mother and child and exposes a brutal scheme".
"Female individuals are being killed due to the simple reality that they are women and girls," they went on to say.
"Murders of women are a strongly established and widespread concern that we must fight resolutely."
