Double Murder Alert

Man from Styria Allegedly Shot His Own Wife (59)

The police were on the scene in Gersdorf, Styria, with a large contingent and cordoned off the crime scene.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Two violent crimes against women shook Austria on Wednesday evening: In Styria, a 64-year-old man was arrested on strong suspicion of killing his 59-year-old wife with a rifle. In Lower Austria, it was reported that a 28-year-old woman found in her apartment died from a gunshot wound to the head.

On Wednesday, a horrific act of violence took place in Gersdorf an der Feistritz in the Styrian district of Weizzu. A 59-year-old woman from Styria is believed to have been the victim of a femicide. Her 64-year-old husband is suspected of shooting his own wife with a rifle.

According to initial information from police spokesperson Fritz Grundnig, the man was arrested at the scene. “The police negotiation team made contact with him, and he allowed himself to be arrested without resistance,” Grundnig told the “Krone.”

Man called a relative and reportedly confessed to the crime
The exact time of the incident has not yet been determined, officials say. What is known: The suspect reportedly called a close relative and confessed to the crime. This relative then alerted the police. Since information about a firearm was available, the special unit “Cobra” was notified in addition to the officers.

The crime is said to have taken place in a remote house, an old farmhouse in the middle of the forest, in the Gschmaier district. The body of the 59-year-old woman was found in the house. The 64-year-old suspected perpetrator is in police custody after the arriving officers ordered him to leave the house. The background or motive for the crime is not yet known; the investigation is in full swing.

28-Year-Old Woman Shot in the Head in Apartment
Meanwhile, it was also reported on Wednesday evening that a young woman was killed by a gunshot to the head in Baden, Lower Austria. The crime occurred on May 14, but initially, a fall was assumed to be the cause of death. 

Just at the end of April, a 35-year-old woman in Styria was shot and killed by her husband, who is one year older than her—in their own home. The 36-year-old apparently grabbed a rifle and shot his wife. He then likely turned the gun on himself. The police were also alerted at the time by a relative who had gone to check on the house.