Disturbing Find: Remains of Missing Mum and Daughter Located in Freezers in Austria

The bodies of a mother aged 34 and her 10-year-old daughter have been discovered inside freezers in an flat in the western part of Austria.

The victims, a woman from Syria and her child, who had been missing for a number of months, were found on Friday. The cooling units were hidden behind a drywall partition in the flat, located in the city of Innsbruck.

Two men, a Austrian man, 55 and his brother aged 53, were detained in June. The elder brother, a colleague of the Syrian woman, informed police last week that there had been an incident—but denied murder.

Informing reporters recently, a representative for the state prosecutor stated the two suspects were being kept in custody on "serious suspicion of intentional killing".

The identities of those involved have been withheld by law enforcement, in accordance with national regulations.

The vanishing of the mother and child was originally brought to light by the cousin of the mother, who resides in Germany, on July 25, 2024.

Investigators stated the male associate informed them at the time she had embarked on an extended trip with her daughter to visit her parents in Turkey.

The mother's debit card was then noted as being active overseas repeatedly.

However when officers entered the victim's residence, her mobile phone was found.

Someone also claimed overhearing a commotion in the apartment, and screams of "mama" on the day the pair were thought to have disappeared.

A wider criminal probe was launched, with officers finding several texts sent from the victim's mobile—such as a notice of quitting to her workplace and communications to the 55-year-old suspect.

Officials confirmed a significant cash transfer was also sent to the suspect.

The head of the State Criminal Police Office informed the press on Tuesday that a storage unit had been leased before the vanishing and a freezer had been installed within.

The two suspects removed the cooling unit from the unit on the date the victims disappeared, Tersch revealed. And a shortly afterward, they obtained a second unit.

Officials say they believe this suggests the fatalities were planned in advance.

"The cause of death could not be determined due to the condition of the bodies," the official commented.

The prosecutor's spokesman—from the legal authorities—said the specific order of occurrences is not yet known, but the bodies were carefully placed and were not found during a previous house search.

While the suspects were taken into custody in June, it was not until the 12th of November that the 55-year-old admitted to an incident and to storing the victims. He denies any intent to kill, investigators confirmed.

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

The two suspects are currently in pre-trial detention in detention centers in separate locations, approximately 189 kilometers away from each other.

Through a combined announcement, the nation's official for women's affairs and Justice Minister said the "alleged double murder... symbolizes the swift and cruel conclusion of two human lives and uncovers a heartless setup".

"Women and girls are falling victim to homicide due to the mere fact that they are women and girls," they added.

"Femicides are a deeply rooted and society-wide problem that we must fight resolutely."