Shocking Unearthing: Remains of Missing Mum and Daughter Found in Freezing Units in Austria

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

The victims, a woman from Syria and her daughter, who had been unaccounted for for a number of months, were uncovered on Friday. The freezers were hidden behind a drywall partition in the dwelling, located in the city of Innsbruck.

A pair of males, a 55-year-old Austrian and his brother aged 53, were arrested in June. The 55-year-old, a work associate of the female victim, told authorities last week that there had been an accident—but disputed murder.

Speaking to the media previously, a representative for the public prosecutor's office stated the pair were being held on "strong suspicion of murder".

The identities of those involved have not been released by authorities, in following Austrian law.

The vanishing of the mother and child was originally brought to light by the woman's cousin, who is based in Germany, on July 25, 2024.

Investigators stated the male associate claimed at the time she had taken an prolonged visit with her child to travel to her relatives in Turkey.

The victim's bank card was then found to have been used in foreign locations on multiple occasions.

Yet when officers searched the victim's residence, her cellphone was discovered.

An individual also stated listening to a loud noise in the dwelling, and shouts of "mama" on the date the mother and child were believed to have vanished.

A broader official inquiry was launched, with officers finding multiple communications transmitted via the victim's mobile—including a resignation letter to her employer and texts to the male colleague.

Authorities stated a significant cash transfer was also transferred to the individual.

A senior police official stated to the press on Tuesday that a storage unit had been secured before the mother and child went missing and a cooling unit had been installed within.

The two suspects extracted the cooling unit from the facility on the date the mother and daughter disappeared, Tersch stated. And a week later, they purchased an additional appliance.

Authorities state they think this indicates the deaths were intentionally orchestrated.

"How they died could not be determined due to the condition of the bodies," the official said.

A legal representative—representing the state—said the exact sequence of events is still unclear, but the remains were professionally hidden and were not found during a prior examination.

While the brothers were taken into custody in June, it was only on November 12 that the suspect admitted to an event and to concealing the remains. He disputes any intent to kill, officials said.

Meanwhile, his 53-year-old sibling admitted to a cover-up but denied involvement in a homicide.

The pair are currently in pre-trial detention in jails in Innsbruck and Salzburg, situated at a distance.

In a joint statement, Austria's Minister for Women and the top legal representative said the "alleged double murder... constitutes the sudden and brutal end of two human lives and uncovers a brutal scheme".

"Women and girls are being murdered due to the simple reality that they are of the female gender," they went on to say.

"Murders of women are a profoundly embedded and widespread concern that we must address decisively."