Disturbing Discovery: Bodies of Vanished Mum and Daughter Found in Freezing Units in Austria

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The remains of a mother aged 34 and her young daughter, 10 have been discovered inside freezers in an apartment in the western part of Austria.

The victims, a woman from Syria and her child, who had been unaccounted for for several months, were uncovered on Friday. The cooling units were hidden behind a plasterboard wall in the dwelling, located in the city of Innsbruck.

Two individuals, a Austrian man, 55 and his 53-year-old brother, were arrested in the month of June. The older man, a colleague of the Syrian woman, told police last week that there had been an unfortunate event—but disputed homicide.

Addressing journalists earlier, a representative for the legal authorities stated the pair were being kept in custody on "high likelihood of homicide".

The names of those involved have been withheld by law enforcement, in following local legislation.

Their going missing was originally brought to light by the woman's cousin, who resides in Germany, on the 25th of July last year.

Authorities revealed the male associate claimed at the time she had embarked on an long journey with her daughter to travel to her relatives in Turkey.

Her bank card was then discovered to be utilized in foreign locations on multiple occasions.

However when investigators entered the woman's home, her cellphone was found.

A witness also reported overhearing a loud noise in the apartment, and screams of "mum" on the occasion the pair were thought to have disappeared.

A wider police investigation was initiated, with investigators discovering multiple communications transmitted via the victim's mobile—such as a job termination message to her employer and texts to the 55-year-old suspect.

Authorities confirmed a four-figure sum was also transferred to the suspect.

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The head of the State Criminal Police Office informed the press on recently that a storage facility had been leased before the victims' disappearance and a freezer had been placed there.

The brothers took out the cooling unit from the storage space on the day the mother and daughter disappeared, she revealed. And a shortly afterward, they obtained another freezer.

Investigators believe they think this indicates the deaths were intentionally orchestrated.

"The reason for their demise remains unclear due to the state of decomposition of the bodies," Tersch commented.

The prosecutor's spokesman—from the legal authorities—noted the exact sequence of events is still unclear, but the remains were expertly concealed and not discovered during a earlier inspection.

While the men were detained in June, it was not until November 12 that the elder brother admitted to an event and to storing the victims. He rejects any murderous intent, authorities confirmed.

Meanwhile, his 53-year-old sibling admitted to a attempt to hide evidence but rejected knowledge of a murder.

The pair are currently in custody awaiting trial in detention centers in Innsbruck and Salzburg, situated at a distance.

Via a shared communication, the nation's official for women's affairs and Justice Minister stated the "alleged double murder... represents the abrupt and violent termination of two human lives and reveals a heartless setup".

"Female individuals are being killed due to the mere fact that they are of the female gender," they added.

"Murders of women are a strongly established and widespread concern that we must address decisively."

Richard Reyes
Richard Reyes

A fashion journalist with over a decade of experience covering urban trends and sustainable streetwear, based in Berlin.