Shocking Find: Remains of Vanished Mum and Daughter Found in Freezing Units in the Alpine Nation

The remains of a mother aged 34 and her 10-year-old daughter have been found inside freezing appliances in an apartment in western Austria.

The victims, a Syrian woman and her child, who had been missing for several months, were found on Friday. The freezers were hidden behind a false wall in the flat, situated in the Innsbruck area.

Two men, a Austrian man, 55 and his 53-year-old brother, were detained in the month of June. The elder brother, a colleague of the female victim, informed police last week that there had been an incident—but disputed murder.

Informing reporters previously, a official for the state prosecutor said the brothers were being kept in custody on "high likelihood of intentional killing".

Personal details of those concerned have not been disclosed by police, in following local legislation.

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

Investigators revealed the 55-year-old suspect claimed at the time she had gone on an long journey with her daughter to visit her parents in Turkey.

Her bank card was then found to have been used abroad repeatedly.

Yet when officers entered the woman's home, her smartphone was located.

Someone also stated hearing a disturbing sound in the dwelling, and shouts of "mama" on the occasion the pair were presumed to have gone missing.

A wider police investigation was started, with authorities uncovering several texts originating from the woman's phone—including a job termination message to her employer and messages to the 55-year-old suspect.

Officials confirmed a four-figure sum was also moved to the individual.

Katja Tersch stated to reporters on Tuesday that a rented space had been rented out before the vanishing and a cooling unit had been positioned inside.

The two suspects removed the freezer from the facility on the day the victims vanished, Tersch revealed. And a week later, they acquired an additional appliance.

Authorities believe they think this suggests the demise were planned in advance.

"The reason for their demise was not identifiable due to the advanced decay of the bodies," the official commented.

A legal representative—representing the state—noted the specific order of occurrences is still unclear, but the bodies were expertly concealed and were not found during a previous house search.

While the men were taken into custody in June, it was not until 12 November that the elder brother admitted to an incident and to concealing the remains. He denies any intent to kill, authorities stated.

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

The brothers are presently in pre-trial detention in prisons in separate locations, situated at a distance.

Through a combined announcement, the nation's official for women's affairs and the top legal representative stated the "reported homicide of mother and child... represents the abrupt and violent termination of two human lives and exposes a heartless setup".

"Females of all ages are falling victim to homicide due to the mere fact that they are of the female gender," they continued.

"Femicides are a strongly established and widespread concern that we must combat firmly."