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The deceased of a mother aged 34 and her young daughter, 10 have been located inside freezers in an flat in western Austria.

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

Two men, a 55-year-old Austrian and his brother aged 53, were taken into custody in the month of June. The elder brother, a work associate of the Syrian woman, told police last week that there had been an accident—but rejected homicide.

Addressing journalists earlier, a representative for the legal authorities said the two suspects were being kept in custody on "serious suspicion of murder".

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

Their going missing was initially flagged by the woman's cousin, who resides in Germany, on July 25, 2024.

Investigators said the male associate informed them at the time she had embarked on an long journey with her child to visit her parents in Turkey.

The mother's debit card was then discovered to be utilized abroad repeatedly.

Yet when police entered the mother's apartment, her mobile phone was located.

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

An expanded official inquiry was launched, with investigators uncovering several texts transmitted via the victim's mobile—such as a resignation letter to her employer and texts to the 55-year-old suspect.

Authorities said a four-figure sum was also sent to the man.

The head of the State Criminal Police Office informed the press on that day that a storage facility had been secured before the vanishing and a cooling unit had been positioned inside.

The brothers removed the cooling unit from the facility on the day the victims went missing, Tersch revealed. And a week later, they purchased a second unit.

Investigators believe they believe this suggests the deaths were premeditated.

"The reason for their demise could not be determined due to the condition of the bodies," Tersch stated.

Mayr—of the public prosecutor's office—said the exact sequence of events is not yet known, but the victims were carefully placed and went unnoticed during a prior examination.

Although the brothers were taken into custody in the summer, it was only on the 12th of November that the 55-year-old admitted to an event and to concealing the remains. He disputes any intent to kill, investigators said.

At the same time, his younger brother confessed to a cover-up but disputed involvement in a homicide.

The pair are at this time in detention before court proceedings in jails in two Austrian cities, approximately 189 kilometers away from each other.

In a joint statement, Austria's Minister for Women and the top legal representative declared the "alleged double murder... constitutes the sudden and brutal end of two individuals and reveals a heartless setup".

"Female individuals are being murdered due to the simple reality that they are women and girls," they continued.

"Femicides are a strongly established and widespread concern that we must combat firmly."