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The remains of a 34-year-old woman and her young daughter, 10 have been found inside freezing appliances in an residence in western Austria.

The victims, a Syrian woman and her daughter, who had been unaccounted for for a number of months, were detected on the end of last week. The freezers were concealed 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 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 rejected murder.

Speaking to journalists recently, a official for the state prosecutor announced the two suspects were being kept in custody on "strong suspicion of murder".

Personal details of those implicated have not been released by police, in compliance with Austrian law.

The family's disappearance was originally brought to light by the cousin of the mother, who resides in Germany, on July 25, 2024.

Investigators said 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 discovered to be utilized abroad several times.

Yet when officers entered the mother's apartment, her smartphone was found.

Someone also reported hearing a disturbing sound in the apartment, and shouts of "mother" on the occasion the pair were believed to have vanished.

A wider official inquiry was launched, with authorities discovering multiple communications sent from the victim's mobile—such as a notice of quitting to her workplace and communications to the male colleague.

Officials stated a amount in the thousands was also sent to the man.

The head of the State Criminal Police Office stated to media representatives on Tuesday that a storage facility had been rented out before the victims' disappearance and a freezing appliance had been placed there.

The two suspects extracted the appliance from the unit on the day the mother and daughter vanished, Tersch said. And a seven days after, they purchased another freezer.

Investigators say they consider this points to the fatalities were intentionally orchestrated.

"The cause of death remains unclear due to the advanced decay of the victims," she said.

Mayr—from the legal authorities—said the precise timeline is yet to be determined, but the remains were carefully placed and went unnoticed during a prior examination.

While the brothers were detained in the summer, it was only on November 12 that the 55-year-old admitted to an occurrence and to hiding the bodies. He rejects any murderous intent, officials said.

Meanwhile, his younger brother confessed to a attempt to hide evidence but disputed knowledge of a killing.

The brothers are at this time in detention before court proceedings in detention centers in separate locations, approximately 189 kilometers away from each other.

Via a shared communication, the nation's official for women's affairs and the top legal representative stated the "alleged double murder... symbolizes the swift and cruel conclusion of a mother and child and reveals a brutal scheme".

"Women and girls are being killed due to the simple reality that they are female," they continued.

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