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The remains of a mother aged 34 and her 10-year-old daughter have been found inside freezers in an apartment in western Austria.

The deceased, a Syrian woman and her child, who had been missing for several months, were found on Friday. The cooling units were placed behind a plasterboard wall in the flat, situated in the city of Innsbruck.

Two individuals, a Austrian man, 55 and his 53-year-old brother, were detained in the month of June. The 55-year-old, a colleague of the female victim, stated to law enforcement last week that there had been an accident—but denied murder.

Addressing journalists recently, a spokesman for the legal authorities said the two suspects were being detained on "serious suspicion of murder".

The names of those involved have been withheld by law enforcement, in accordance with Austrian law.

Their going missing was initially flagged by the cousin of the mother, who resides in Germany, on July 25, 2024.

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

The mother's debit card was then found to have been used overseas repeatedly.

However when investigators examined the woman's home, her cellphone was located.

A witness also stated overhearing a loud noise in the flat, and cries of "mum" on the date the two were believed to have vanished.

A broader official inquiry was initiated, with investigators finding multiple communications originating from the victim's mobile—among them a notice of quitting to her company and messages to the male associate.

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

The head of the State Criminal Police Office informed the press on that day that a rented space had been leased before the mother and child went missing and a cooling unit had been placed there.

The male siblings removed the freezer from the unit on the day the mother and daughter disappeared, the official revealed. And a seven days after, they purchased an additional appliance.

Officials say they believe this suggests the demise were premeditated.

"The reason for their demise could not be determined due to the state of decomposition of the victims," she stated.

The prosecutor's spokesman—representing the state—said the exact sequence of events is not yet known, but the remains were carefully placed and were not found during a earlier inspection.

While the brothers were taken into custody in the summer, it was only on the 12th of November that the 55-year-old confessed to an occurrence and to hiding the bodies. He rejects any intent to kill, authorities stated.

In a related development, his 53-year-old sibling confessed to a attempt to hide evidence but disputed involvement in a killing.

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

In a joint statement, the nation's official for women's affairs and Justice Minister stated the "suspected killing of two... constitutes the swift and cruel conclusion of two human lives and exposes a heartless setup".

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

"Murders of women are a strongly established and issue affecting all of society that we must combat firmly."