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The deceased of a 34-year-old woman and her 10-year-old daughter have been located inside freezers in an residence in the western part of Austria.

The deceased, a woman from Syria and her daughter, who had been unaccounted for for several months, were found on Friday. The freezers were hidden behind a drywall partition in the apartment, located in the city of Innsbruck.

Two individuals, a Austrian man, 55 and his brother aged 53, were taken into custody in June. The elder brother, a work associate of the Syrian woman, told police last week that there had been an unfortunate event—but rejected homicide.

Speaking to journalists recently, a official for the state prosecutor announced the brothers were being detained on "high likelihood of intentional killing".

Personal details of those involved have been withheld by police, in compliance with national regulations.

Their going missing was first reported by the female victim's relative, who lives in Germany, on July 25, 2024.

Investigators revealed the 55-year-old suspect informed them at the time she had embarked on an extended trip with her child to visit her parents in Turkey.

The mother's debit card was then discovered to be utilized in foreign locations several times.

However when police searched the mother's apartment, her smartphone was discovered.

An individual also claimed listening to a loud noise in the flat, and shouts of "mother" on the day the two were thought to have disappeared.

An expanded police investigation was launched, with investigators uncovering various messages originating from the woman's phone—including a resignation letter to her company and communications to the male associate.

Law enforcement stated a significant cash transfer was also transferred to the man.

A senior police official stated to the press on that day that a rented space had been leased before the vanishing and a cooling unit had been placed there.

The male siblings removed the cooling unit from the facility on the date the mother and daughter disappeared, Tersch said. And a shortly afterward, they purchased an additional appliance.

Authorities state they think this indicates the fatalities were premeditated.

"The cause of death could not be determined due to the state of decomposition of the remains," Tersch stated.

The prosecutor's spokesman—representing the state—stated the exact sequence of events is not yet known, but the bodies were carefully placed and went unnoticed during a prior examination.

While the brothers were detained in June, it was not until the 12th of November that the 55-year-old admitted to an occurrence and to hiding the bodies. He disputes any murderous intent, authorities said.

At the same time, his 53-year-old sibling confessed to a attempt to hide evidence but disputed involvement in a murder.

The brothers are currently in custody awaiting trial in detention centers in Innsbruck and Salzburg, around 117 miles (189km) apart.

In a joint statement, Austria's Minister for Women and Justice Minister declared the "alleged double murder... represents the swift and cruel conclusion of two human lives and reveals a heartless setup".

"Female individuals are falling victim to homicide due to the simple reality that they are female," they went on to say.

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