Disturbing Find: Bodies of Missing Mother and Child Located in Freezers in the Alpine Nation
The deceased of a mother aged 34 and her 10-year-old daughter have been located inside freezing appliances in an residence in the western part of Austria.
The deceased, a Syrian woman and her child, who had been unaccounted for for several months, were uncovered on the end of last week. The freezers were placed behind a false wall in the dwelling, situated in the city of Innsbruck.
Two individuals, a Austrian man, 55 and his 53-year-old brother, were taken into custody in the month of June. The older man, a colleague of the female victim, told police last week that there had been an accident—but disputed intentional killing.
Informing journalists previously, a representative for the legal authorities said the brothers were being detained on "high likelihood of homicide".
The names of those implicated have not been disclosed by authorities, in accordance with local legislation.
The family's disappearance was first reported by the female victim's relative, who lives in Germany, on 25 July 2024.
Authorities said the 55-year-old suspect claimed at the time she had taken an extended trip with her child to see her family in the nation of Turkey.
The mother's debit card was then discovered to be utilized overseas several times.
Yet when officers searched the mother's apartment, her mobile phone was discovered.
An individual also stated overhearing a loud noise in the apartment, and cries of "mama" on the date the two were believed to have vanished.
A wider police investigation was started, with investigators finding various messages originating from the woman's phone—including a notice of quitting to her workplace and texts to the 55-year-old suspect.
Law enforcement confirmed a significant cash transfer was also sent to the individual.
A senior police official told the press on Tuesday that a storage unit had been leased before the victims' disappearance and a freezer had been placed there.
The male siblings took out the appliance from the facility on the date the woman and her child went missing, she said. And a shortly afterward, they purchased an additional appliance.
Authorities state they consider this suggests the deaths were intentionally orchestrated.
"The reason for their demise could not be determined due to the advanced decay of the victims," Tersch said.
A legal representative—of the public prosecutor's office—stated the specific order of occurrences is not yet known, but the remains were professionally hidden and went unnoticed during a previous house search.
Although the suspects were arrested in June, it was not until November 12 that the 55-year-old acknowledged an event and to concealing the remains. He rejects any murderous intent, officials stated.
In a related development, his 53-year-old sibling admitted to a attempt to hide evidence but denied involvement in a killing.
The two suspects are presently in pre-trial detention in detention centers in two Austrian cities, situated at a distance.
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 sudden and brutal end of two individuals and reveals a brutal scheme".
"Females of all ages are falling victim to homicide due to the sole reason that they are female," they continued.
"Murders of women are a deeply rooted and widespread concern that we must combat firmly."