Shocking Find: Remains of Vanished Mum and Daughter Located in Freezing Units in Austria

The bodies of a 34-year-old woman and her 10-year-old daughter have been located inside freezers in an residence in western Austria.

The victims, a woman from Syria and her child, who had been missing for a number of months, were uncovered on Friday. The freezers were placed behind a plasterboard wall in the flat, 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 55-year-old, a work associate of the female victim, informed police last week that there had been an unfortunate event—but disputed intentional killing.

Speaking to the media earlier, a official for the public prosecutor's office said the brothers were being held on "strong suspicion of murder".

The names of those concerned have not been released by law enforcement, in accordance with Austrian law.

The family's disappearance was initially flagged by the female victim's relative, who resides in Germany, on July 25, 2024.

Authorities stated the male associate told them at the time she had taken an long journey with her child to see her family in Turkey.

The mother's debit card was then noted as being active overseas on multiple occasions.

However when police examined the mother's apartment, her smartphone was located.

A witness also reported overhearing a commotion in the apartment, and cries of "mum" on the day the mother and child were believed to have vanished.

A wider official inquiry was launched, with officers discovering several texts originating from the victim's mobile—among them a notice of quitting to her workplace and messages to the male colleague.

Law enforcement confirmed a amount in the thousands was also sent to the individual.

A senior police official informed media representatives on recently that a rented space had been rented out before the victims' disappearance and a freezing appliance had been installed within.

The male siblings extracted the cooling unit from the unit on the date the woman and her child vanished, the official stated. And a shortly afterward, they acquired another freezer.

Investigators say they think this suggests the fatalities were planned in advance.

"The cause of death remains unclear due to the condition of the victims," the official said.

A legal representative—from the legal authorities—said the exact sequence of events is still unclear, but the victims were expertly concealed and were not found during a earlier inspection.

While the suspects were arrested in June, it was not until the 12th of November that the suspect admitted to an event and to storing the victims. He denies any murderous intent, investigators said.

In a related development, his 53-year-old sibling admitted to a concealment but disputed involvement in a murder.

The pair are currently in pre-trial detention in jails in two Austrian cities, situated at a distance.

Via a shared communication, the nation's official for women's affairs and the top legal representative said the "reported homicide of mother and child... represents the swift and cruel conclusion of two individuals and exposes a cruel system".

"Female individuals are falling victim to homicide due to the mere fact that they are of the female gender," they continued.

"Gender-based killings are a deeply rooted and widespread concern that we must combat firmly."