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The deceased of a mother aged 34 and her young daughter, 10 have been discovered inside freezing appliances in an apartment in western Austria.

The victims, a woman from Syria and her daughter, who had been missing for several months, were detected on the end of last week. The cooling units were hidden behind a false wall in the dwelling, located in the city of Innsbruck.

Two individuals, a 55-year-old Austrian and his 53-year-old brother, were arrested in June. The elder brother, a colleague of the Syrian woman, stated to police last week that there had been an accident—but denied murder.

Speaking to the media recently, a official for the legal authorities announced the brothers were being detained on "high likelihood of murder".

Personal details of those involved have not been released by law enforcement, in accordance with local legislation.

The vanishing of the mother and child was originally brought to light by the cousin of the mother, who resides in Germany, on July 25, 2024.

Investigators stated the male associate told them at the time she had embarked on an prolonged visit with her daughter to see her family in the nation of Turkey.

The victim's bank card was then noted as being active overseas on multiple occasions.

But when officers searched the mother's apartment, her mobile phone was found.

Someone also stated hearing a disturbing sound in the flat, and cries of "mother" on the day the mother and child were believed to have vanished.

A broader criminal probe was launched, with authorities finding several texts sent from the mother's device—including a job termination message to her company and messages to the male associate.

Law enforcement confirmed a four-figure sum was also moved to the man.

A senior police official stated to media representatives on recently that a storage unit had been leased before the vanishing and a cooling unit had been installed within.

The male siblings extracted the appliance from the unit on the day the woman and her child disappeared, she said. And a seven days after, they purchased a second unit.

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

"How they died was not identifiable due to the condition of the bodies," the official said.

The prosecutor's spokesman—representing the state—stated the exact sequence of events is still unclear, but the victims were professionally hidden and not discovered during a prior examination.

While the brothers were detained in June, it was not until November 12 that the suspect acknowledged an event and to storing the victims. He disputes any intent to kill, authorities confirmed.

In a related development, his brother confessed to a concealment but disputed knowledge of a murder.

The brothers are presently in custody awaiting trial in jails in two Austrian cities, around 117 miles (189km) apart.

Through a combined announcement, Austria's Minister for Women and the top legal representative declared the "reported homicide of mother and child... symbolizes the abrupt and violent termination of two individuals and reveals a cruel system".

"Females of all ages are being killed due to the simple reality that they are female," they went on to say.

"Gender-based killings are a profoundly embedded and widespread concern that we must combat firmly."