In a burnt-out car

Murder alert! Victim died from blunt force trauma

The 21-year-old Ukrainian was discovered in a burnt-out car in Vienna-Donaustadt and is likely to have been the victim of a crime.(Bild: Martin A. Jöchl)

A body was discovered in the back seat of a completely burnt-out Mercedes in Vienna-Donaustadt on Wednesday night. On Thursday, the police announced that the autopsy revealed that the death was caused by blunt force trauma. The person is likely to have suffocated or died from heat shock.

A mysterious case is currently puzzling investigators. Passers-by discovered the burnt-out car at midnight on Wednesday night and immediately alerted the emergency services. According to the Vienna police and the professional fire department, the car was already completely burnt out when they arrived.

Young life brutally extinguished
The body of a man was found in the car. According to information from "Krone", the victim, who was lying in the back seat, was a Ukrainian in his early 20s. Following an autopsy on Thursday, the police confirmed in a press release that the man was 21 years old - although a DNA match is still pending.

The young man's body was only discovered after the fire had been extinguished.(Bild: Martin A. Jöchl)

Fire residue at the scene of the crime in Vienna-Donaustadt(Bild: Martin A. Jöchl)

The 21-year-old Ukrainian was discovered in a burnt-out car in Vienna-Donaustadt and is likely to have been the victim of a crime.(Bild: Martin A. Jöchl)

Suffocated or died in the fire
Explosive: the autopsy revealed that the man had apparently been killed violently. The body showed clear signs of blunt force trauma. The 21-year-old may have been attacked, placed in the back seat and the car then set on fire to cover his tracks. The investigators cite asphyxiation or heat shock as possible causes of death.

There are also initial findings on how the fire started: Apparently the fire was started with an accelerant. It is currently completely unclear who killed the 21-year-old and what the motive behind it was.

A confidant of the family living abroad reported the 21-year-old missing on Thursday night. Shortly afterwards, sad certainty for the relatives: The young Ukrainian had died in a gruesome manner.