Mother and child dead

Even after autopsy, Kitzbühel tragedy remains a mystery

On Tuesday afternoon, the bodies of the mother and her son were discovered in Kitzbühel.(Bild: ZOOM Tirol)

The tragedy surrounding the mother (48) and her five-year-old son, who were found dead in an apartment in Kitzbühel on Tuesday afternoon, has shocked the whole of Austria. On Wednesday, the bodies were autopsied at the Innsbruck forensic medicine department. Preliminary results are now available. According to these, the case remains a mystery.

The autopsies were performed on Wednesday morning. According to the report, "no visible signs of violence" were found on the five-year-old boy. The criminal case therefore remains a mystery even after the forensic examination.

Histological and toxicological analyses
Further histological and toxicological analyses are therefore necessary to clarify the cause of death, explained chief investigator Katja Tersch. "The results will not be available for a few weeks," the head of the Tyrol State Criminal Investigation Office told the "Krone" newspaper.

Tersch did not want to comment on speculation about the possible cause of death—whether the boy might have been poisoned. "I am not making any assumptions about this. We are waiting for the results of the investigations."

In any case, it is now clear that the five-year-old was neither shot, stabbed nor strangled, Tersch explained.

No foul play in mother's death
The 48-year-old mother was also autopsied on Wednesday: "No signs of external influence could be found on her, and therefore suicide is assumed," chief investigator Tersch continued. This had already been assumed prior to the autopsy.

The results of the histological and toxicological examinations will not be available for a few weeks.

Chefermittlerin Katja Tersch, LKA Tirol

Bild: Christof Birbaumer

Last contact with woman on Sunday
"Based on the current state of the investigation, it is suspected that the 48-year-old woman, who last had telephone contact with her friends and acquaintances on Sunday, killed her son in the apartment on Monday and subsequently committed suicide."

Mystery surrounding motive, those close to the couple are being questioned
The motive also remains a mystery. Interviews have already been conducted, but more people from the circle of the two deceased are to be questioned in the coming days. "Due to the sensitivity of the case, we want to get as comprehensive a picture of the situation as possible," investigator Tersch remains tight-lipped.

Acquaintance raised the alarm
Because the 48-year-old local woman had not been in touch for some time, an acquaintance raised the alarm on Tuesday. Emergency services immediately went to the address of the woman and her son. After opening the door, the two bodies were discovered. The mother and child are said to have lived alone in the apartment. Unremarkable, courteous.