Missing Person Found Behind a Wall

Rosary in hand: New details on the discovery of the body

The walled-in body was found in this house in Münchendorf.(Bild: Monatsrevue/Lenger Thomas)

Mystery surrounds the decomposed body of a 99-year-old woman found in a house in Münchendorf (Lower Austria): The baffling case is now being investigated by homicide detectives—there is suspicion of welfare fraud.

The shocking discovery in the town of about 3,000 residents in southern Lower Austria is causing a stir. As early as May 28, the severely decomposed body of a 99-year-old woman, who would have celebrated her 100th birthday in a few weeks, was recovered from a house wall. She had likely been there for years, possibly up to a decade.

Rumors are swirling
In this quiet town in Vienna’s affluent suburbs, residents are dismayed, andrumors are swirling. A neighbor says they knew the woman, who had a second home here, but hadn’t seen her in a long time. Occasionally, her son would show up to do work on the house. He is a complete unknown in the community.

Investigators found the mummified body in this house.(Bild: Martina Münzer)

The deceased is said to have been holding a rosary
The case began with a missing persons report filed by relatives. After the fire department broke down the front door, cadaver dogs immediately picked up the scent. Investigators then made the horrific discovery in a wall near the basement entrance.

Behind the masonry lay the badly decomposed body of the missing woman. Rumor has it she was even clutching a rosary. Even though the forensic autopsy found no evidence of a violent crime, homicide investigators from the Lower Austria State Criminal Police Office urgently want to speak with the deceased woman’s son. He is said to have been abroad for quite some time—and upon his return, as a key witness, he is expected to shed light on the mysterious case.

We are all deeply shaken. There’s a lot of talk at the regulars’ tables. I ask them, “How do you know that?”

Mario, Angestellter im Dorfgasthaus

Pension continued to be paid
According to information from the “Krone,” there are currently no indications of foul play. Investigators are working at full speed to determine why the Austrian-born woman was walled in anyway and who is responsible. At present, several factors point to possible social security fraud or disturbance of the dead’s rest. This is because the pension payments apparently continued.

Creepy discovery at the inn"
 " The creepy discovery is reminiscent of another crime scene a few days ago in Salzburg. As reported, two similarly decomposed bodies were found in a dilapidated inn.

A curse seems to hang over the once-popular brewery inn. More than two years ago, a fire broke out in the building—often used by homeless people as a place to sleep—injuring several people.