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The bodies of a 34-year-old woman and her 10-year-old daughter have been found inside freezing appliances in an flat in western Austria.

The deceased, a woman from Syria and her daughter, who had been missing for several months, were detected on Friday. The cooling units were hidden behind a drywall partition in the flat, situated in the Innsbruck area.

Two individuals, a Austrian man, 55 and his 53-year-old brother, were taken into custody in the month of June. The elder brother, a colleague of the female victim, informed law enforcement last week that there had been an unfortunate event—but disputed murder.

Speaking to the media recently, a representative for the public prosecutor's office announced the pair were being held on "strong suspicion of homicide".

The names of those concerned have not been released by law enforcement, in accordance with Austrian law.

The family's disappearance was initially flagged by the woman's cousin, who lives in Germany, on July 25, 2024.

Police said the 55-year-old suspect informed them at the time she had gone on an long journey with her child to see her family in Turkey.

The mother's debit card was then found to have been used in foreign locations several times.

However when police examined the woman's home, her cellphone was found.

An individual also claimed hearing a disturbing sound in the dwelling, and cries of "mama" on the day the mother and child were believed to have vanished.

A wider criminal probe was initiated, with investigators discovering various messages originating from the mother's device—among them a job termination message to her company and messages to the male associate.

Officials stated a significant cash transfer was also moved to the suspect.

A senior police official stated to the press on Tuesday that a rented space had been secured before the victims' disappearance and a cooling unit had been positioned inside.

The male siblings took out the cooling unit from the unit on the day the woman and her child vanished, she revealed. And a week later, they obtained an additional appliance.

Investigators say they believe this points to the demise were planned in advance.

"The reason for their demise was not identifiable due to the condition of the bodies," she commented.

The prosecutor's spokesman—representing the state—said the precise timeline is still unclear, but the remains were carefully placed and not discovered during a prior examination.

While the suspects were taken into custody in the summer, it was not until November 12 that the elder brother admitted to an occurrence and to hiding the bodies. He denies any murderous intent, investigators confirmed.

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

The pair are currently in pre-trial detention in prisons in two Austrian cities, around 117 miles (189km) apart.

Via a shared communication, the nation's official for women's affairs and the top legal representative said the "suspected killing of two... symbolizes the swift and cruel conclusion of two individuals and reveals a brutal scheme".

"Women and girls are being killed due to the mere fact that they are female," they added.

"Femicides are a profoundly embedded and issue affecting all of society that we must address decisively."