Murder alert in Airbnb

Woman beaten to death: suspect “mentally ill”

(Bild: Josef Poyer)

Following the violent death of a 47-year-old woman on Tuesday evening in Vienna's Leopoldstadt district, further details have been released about the suspected perpetrator. According to the police, the suspect - a 20-year-old - is said to be mentally ill and had been undergoing treatment for this.

The suspect "met the later victim several years ago during an inpatient stay in hospital", said police spokesman Philipp Haßlinger on Thursday.

On Tuesday evening, the 20-year-old and his later victim met - as reported - in the Airbnb near the exhibition center. Apparently, the intention was to consume narcotics, according to the police. However, the mood quickly changed and the two apparently got into an argument, which ultimately escalated fatally.

Serious injuries to the head
The Turkish-born man attacked the woman and ultimately inflicted fatal injuries. Police and ambulance crews were alerted shortly afterwards by concerned neighbors, but a short time later the police only found the dead woman with serious head injuries and the suspected perpetrator in the apartment.

Suspect only claims to have defended himself
During the interrogation, the suspect confessed, but stated that it had been a self-defense situation: The 47-year-old woman had first become violent and the 20-year-old man only claimed to have "defended himself" against her attack.

As soon as the investigations by the State Office of Criminal Investigation have been completed, the suspect will be transferred to a prison. This should be the case in the course of the day.