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

The victims, a Syrian woman and her child, who had been missing for a number of months, were uncovered on Friday. The cooling units were concealed behind a plasterboard wall in the dwelling, located in the city of Innsbruck.

A pair of males, a Austrian man, 55 and his brother aged 53, were taken into custody in June. The 55-year-old, a colleague of the Syrian woman, told police last week that there had been an unfortunate event—but disputed murder.

Speaking to journalists previously, a spokesman for the public prosecutor's office stated the pair were being detained on "high likelihood of intentional killing".

The names of those concerned have been withheld by police, in following local legislation.

The family's disappearance was originally brought to light by the woman's cousin, who resides in Germany, on July 25, 2024.

Investigators said the 55-year-old suspect told them at the time she had gone on an prolonged visit with her child to travel to her relatives in Turkey.

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

But when police examined the victim's residence, her smartphone was located.

A witness also reported listening to a loud noise in the apartment, and screams of "mum" on the date the mother and child were believed to have vanished.

A broader police investigation was initiated, with officers finding multiple communications sent from the mother's device—such as a resignation letter to her company and communications to the male colleague.

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

A senior police official informed media representatives on Tuesday that a storage facility had been leased before the victims' disappearance and a freezing appliance had been installed within.

The brothers extracted the freezer from the storage space on the day the mother and daughter went missing, she revealed. And a seven days after, they acquired an additional appliance.

Officials believe they think this suggests the fatalities were premeditated.

"How they died could not be determined due to the advanced decay of the remains," she stated.

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

While the men were arrested in June, it was not until 12 November that the suspect admitted to an incident and to concealing the remains. He disputes any plan to cause death, officials stated.

At the same time, his 53-year-old sibling acknowledged a attempt to hide evidence but rejected involvement in a homicide.

The brothers are presently in pre-trial detention in detention centers in two Austrian cities, situated at a distance.

In a joint statement, the nation's official for women's affairs and Justice Minister declared the "alleged double murder... constitutes the sudden and brutal end of a mother and child and exposes a heartless setup".

"Women and girls are falling victim to homicide due to the mere fact that they are of the female gender," they went on to say.

"Femicides are a deeply rooted and issue affecting all of society that we must combat firmly."