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The remains of a 34-year-old woman and her 10-year-old daughter have been discovered inside freezers in an residence in western Austria.

The deceased, a woman from Syria and her child, who had been missing for a number of months, were uncovered on the end of last week. The cooling units were placed behind a plasterboard wall in the apartment, located in the Innsbruck area.

Two men, a Austrian man, 55 and his brother aged 53, were arrested in June. The 55-year-old, a colleague of the Syrian woman, stated to law enforcement last week that there had been an accident—but disputed murder.

Informing reporters recently, a official for the public prosecutor's office stated the brothers were being kept in custody on "strong suspicion of murder".

The names of those involved have been withheld by police, in following national regulations.

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

Police said the male associate claimed at the time she had embarked on an long journey with her daughter to see her family in the nation of Turkey.

The mother's debit card was then noted as being active abroad repeatedly.

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

A witness also claimed hearing a commotion in the apartment, and shouts of "mum" on the date the two were thought to have disappeared.

An expanded police investigation was initiated, with investigators finding multiple communications transmitted via the victim's mobile—among them a job termination message to her company and messages to the male colleague.

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

Katja Tersch stated to media representatives on recently that a rented space had been rented out before the victims' disappearance and a freezer had been positioned inside.

The two suspects removed the freezer from the unit on the day the woman and her child went missing, she said. And a week later, they obtained a second unit.

Officials state they think this points to the fatalities were intentionally orchestrated.

"The reason for their demise could not be determined due to the advanced decay of the remains," Tersch said.

A legal representative—representing the state—stated the precise timeline is yet to be determined, but the victims were carefully placed and went unnoticed during a prior examination.

Although the suspects were detained in the summer, it was only on the 12th of November that the suspect admitted to an occurrence and to storing the victims. He denies any plan to cause death, investigators said.

In a related development, his brother confessed to a concealment but disputed involvement in a homicide.

The two suspects are at this time in pre-trial detention in jails in separate locations, situated at a distance.

Through a combined announcement, the nation's official for women's affairs and the top legal representative declared the "alleged double murder... represents the abrupt and violent termination of two human lives and reveals a heartless setup".

"Females of all ages are being murdered due to the sole reason that they are of the female gender," they added.

"Femicides are a deeply rooted and widespread concern that we must address decisively."