Shocking Find: Remains of Vanished Mum and Daughter Found in Freezers in Austria

The deceased of a mother aged 34 and her 10-year-old daughter have been located inside freezers in an apartment in western Austria.

The deceased, a Syrian woman and her child, who had been missing for a number of months, were found on Friday. The freezers were concealed behind a drywall partition in the apartment, situated in the city of Innsbruck.

A pair of males, a Austrian man, 55 and his 53-year-old brother, were detained in the month of June. The elder brother, a work associate of the Syrian woman, stated to police last week that there had been an unfortunate event—but rejected murder.

Addressing journalists recently, a official for the public prosecutor's office announced the two suspects were being held on "high likelihood of murder".

Personal details of those involved have been withheld by authorities, in compliance with local legislation.

The family's disappearance was initially flagged by the woman's cousin, who is based in Germany, on July 25, 2024.

Police said the 55-year-old suspect informed them at the time she had gone on an prolonged visit with her daughter to travel to her relatives in Turkey.

The victim's bank card was then discovered to be utilized overseas repeatedly.

But when officers searched the victim's residence, her mobile phone was discovered.

Someone also reported overhearing a commotion in the dwelling, and shouts of "mama" on the date the pair were believed to have vanished.

An expanded official inquiry was initiated, with authorities discovering multiple communications transmitted via the victim's mobile—such as a resignation letter to her employer and messages to the male colleague.

Authorities stated a significant cash transfer was also sent to the man.

A senior police official told the press on recently that a storage unit had been secured before the vanishing and a freezing appliance had been installed within.

The two suspects removed the freezer from the storage space on the day the victims went missing, she said. And a week later, they obtained an additional appliance.

Officials state they think this points to the deaths were intentionally orchestrated.

"How they died could not be determined due to the advanced decay of the bodies," Tersch commented.

A legal representative—of the public prosecutor's office—stated the specific order of occurrences is yet to be determined, but the bodies were professionally hidden and were not found during a earlier inspection.

While the suspects were arrested in the summer, it was not until the 12th of November that the 55-year-old admitted to an event and to concealing the remains. He disputes any murderous intent, authorities confirmed.

At the same time, his brother acknowledged a cover-up but denied awareness of a homicide.

The pair are at this time in detention before court proceedings in detention centers in Innsbruck and Salzburg, around 117 miles (189km) apart.

Via a shared communication, Austria's Minister for Women and the top legal representative said the "alleged double murder... represents the sudden and brutal end of two individuals and uncovers a heartless setup".

"Female individuals are being murdered due to the mere fact that they are women and girls," they continued.

"Murders of women are a deeply rooted and society-wide problem that we must address decisively."