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The remains of a mother aged 34 and her young daughter, 10 have been found inside freezing appliances in an residence in the western part of Austria.

The deceased, a Syrian woman and her daughter, who had been missing for a number of months, were uncovered on Friday. The cooling units were placed behind a plasterboard wall in the flat, located in the Innsbruck area.

Two individuals, a Austrian man, 55 and his 53-year-old brother, were arrested in the month of June. The older man, a work associate of the Syrian woman, told authorities last week that there had been an accident—but disputed murder.

Addressing the media earlier, a official for the state prosecutor said the brothers were being kept in custody on "serious suspicion of intentional killing".

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

The vanishing of the mother and child was first reported by the cousin of the mother, who resides in Germany, on July 25, 2024.

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

The victim's bank card was then noted as being active in foreign locations repeatedly.

Yet when officers searched the mother's apartment, her mobile phone was located.

An individual also stated hearing a disturbing sound in the apartment, and cries of "mama" on the day the pair were thought to have disappeared.

A wider criminal probe was started, with officers uncovering several texts originating from the mother's device—among them a notice of quitting to her workplace and communications to the 55-year-old suspect.

Law enforcement stated a amount in the thousands was also sent to the suspect.

Katja Tersch stated to reporters on recently that a storage unit had been leased before the victims' disappearance and a freezer had been placed there.

The brothers took out the appliance from the facility on the date the woman and her child vanished, she stated. And a shortly afterward, they obtained an additional appliance.

Investigators state they think this suggests the demise were intentionally orchestrated.

"How they died was not identifiable due to the state of decomposition of the victims," she commented.

A legal representative—from the legal authorities—stated the precise timeline is still unclear, but the remains were expertly concealed and were not found during a earlier inspection.

Although the men were arrested in the summer, it was not until 12 November that the suspect confessed to an incident and to concealing the remains. He disputes any intent to kill, authorities said.

Meanwhile, his 53-year-old sibling confessed to a concealment but rejected awareness of a killing.

The two suspects are at this time in custody awaiting trial in prisons in Innsbruck and Salzburg, situated at a distance.

Via a shared communication, Austria's Minister for Women and the top legal representative stated the "suspected killing of two... constitutes the sudden and brutal end of two individuals and uncovers a heartless setup".

"Females of all ages are being killed due to the mere fact that they are female," they added.

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