Authorities in western Austria have made a heartbreaking discovery: the bodies of a 34-year-old mother and her 10-year-old daughter, missing for several months, were found concealed inside freezers hidden behind a drywall in an apartment in Innsbruck.
The victims, both from Syria, had been unaccounted for since the summer. Their disappearance was first raised by a relative in Germany, who reported that the family had suddenly gone silent in July 2024.
Two brothers, aged 55 and 53, were arrested in connection with the case. The older brother, who had worked with the woman, recently told investigators that an “incident” occurred — but insists the deaths were accidental and denies killing them. Both men are now being held on strong suspicion of murder.
At the time the woman went missing, her colleague claimed she had travelled to Turkey with her daughter to visit family. Yet her phone was later found inside her apartment, contradicting his explanation. Her bank card had also been used abroad several times, and messages were sent from her phone — including a resignation letter and texts to the older suspect. Investigators say a large sum of money was transferred to him as well.
A neighbour reported hearing a loud noise and a child screaming “mama” around the time the two were believed to have vanished.
Police later discovered that a storage unit had been rented shortly before the disappearance, and a freezer was placed there. On the day the mother and child went missing, the brothers removed that freezer. A second freezer was purchased a week later. Investigators say these details suggest the crime may have been planned.
Due to the advanced state of decomposition, the exact cause of death could not be determined. However, authorities say the bodies were meticulously concealed and had not been found during an earlier apartment search.
The older brother has admitted to hiding the bodies but continues to deny intentionally harming the victims. His younger brother admits helping cover up the crime but denies knowing that a homicide had occurred. Both remain in pre-trial detention in separate prisons.
Austria’s Minister for Women and the Justice Minister condemned the killings, describing them as another tragic example of violence against women and girls — a societal problem they say must be confronted with urgency and determination.