Both in the same place

Two dead bodies lay unnoticed for a long time

At the beginning of January, there was a tragedy in Ebensee that left one person injured and one dead

(Bild: Werner Kerschbaummayr/TEAM FOTOKERSCHI.AT / APA / picturedesk.com)

After a bloody family drama in which a gunman tried to kill his wife and then executed himself, Ebensee is now shaken by secret tragedies involving people living alone. Unfortunately, such cases are not decreasing, quite the opposite. They have long since ceased to occur only in cities and anonymous residential buildings.

Several tragic deaths have shaken the town of Ebensee in recent weeks. First and foremost, the attempted murder of a 71-year-old man's wife (61) on January 11 due to their separation - as reported by the "Krone" newspaper. The perpetrator, a long-time member of the brass band, executed himself during the Cobra operation, the woman survived.

Silent, quiet and unnoticed
In a completely different story, two men in the community died a natural death quietly and unnoticed. The neighbor contacted the police in December, concerned because she had not seen her acquaintance for three weeks. After the door was opened, the body of the 60-year-old was found in the living room.

Dead in a littered apartment
A few days ago, a 56-year-old man died in a similar way, which went unnoticed for at least a few days. An acquaintance of the man from Ebensee had found him dead in his littered apartment and, according to MeinBezirk, is now complaining about a lack of official control.

Both lived in seclusion
Both Ebenseers had lived alone and in seclusion after their separations. This also explains why nobody noticed their deaths for so long.

Many similar cases

Time and again, there are deaths that are noticed late - see link box. In May 2024, for example, the body of a woman in her forties was discovered in a rented apartment in Linz. She had been dead for more than a month. The death of a couple in Linz went unnoticed for at least several days - the 84-year-old had first killed his 91-year-old wife and then himself in June. In St. Martin im Mühlkreis, a single pensioner lay dead in his house for two weeks before a neighbor raised the alarm. A particularly tragic case occurred in September in Perg, where an 82-year-old man shot his wife (75) and then himself. The severely impaired daughter (57) then died of thirst in the cellar of the house. The family drama went undetected for almost a month.

If you or someone close to you is in an exceptional psychological situation or is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact the telephone helpline on 142. You can find other crisis hotlines and emergency numbers HERE.

„Krone“-Kommentar

Einsame gibt es leider überall

Every time you research unnoticed deaths, you come across a large number of similar cases. In cities or anonymous residential buildings, where only a few people know their neighbors, such tragedies naturally occur more frequently - but such deaths are also on the increase in rural areas.

(Bild: Markus Wenzel / Krone Kreativ)

Separation, family disputes, addiction or mental health problems are unfortunately everywhere. No one is immune to loneliness. It is important not to immediately blame the bereaved. It is not uncommon for the deceased to have previously refused all help and cut off all contact with the outside world for a long time.