A 14-year-old Austrian girl has confessed to killing a 64-year-old woman in a Vienna cemetery, with preliminary investigations suggesting no prior relationship between victim and suspect, leaving police without a clear motive for the crime.
When interrogated following her arrest, the teenager admitted to the killing at Baumgarten cemetery in Vienna-Penzing. The Vienna State Criminal Police Office is continuing its investigation in cooperation with the public prosecutor’s office, with an autopsy of the victim scheduled for Tuesday.
Officers arrested the girl at a supervised living facility located near the cemetery on Monday at 4:00 p.m. after a bystander stumbled upon the 64-year-old woman’s body lying motionless between graves. The witness immediately ran to the Altbart family funeral home, with operators calling police.
Police took the 14-year-old into custody based on her behavior, witness descriptions, and the fact she was covered in blood. Despite rapid arrival of emergency services and immediate resuscitation attempts, the woman could not be saved.
Witnesses at the scene described the girl as being “completely emotionless” throughout the ordeal. Albert Altbart stated: “She was completely emotionless; she apparently didn’t care.”
While in handcuffs, the girl reportedly made a casual request to officers: “Can I have a cigarette?” The request and her demeanor contrasted sharply with the severity of the situation.
Arthur Altbart, a junior undertaker at the Altbart family funeral home who witnessed the aftermath, provided a detailed description of the suspect. He noted: “I went over immediately after hearing that something had happened. She was extremely unremarkable, emo-like, jet-black hair, piercings on her face, all in black. An absolutely unassuming girl. That anyone could think she could do something like that? Never.”
Altbart stated: “The young woman had an extreme amount of blood on her hands.” Witnesses described her as wearing all black with “jet-black hair,” piercings, and having an “emo-like” appearance.
Heini Altbart, an owner of the funeral home, stated: “It’s really terrible. The woman was apparently in the wrong place at the wrong time.” The comment reflected the apparent randomness of the attack given no established connection between victim and suspect.
The girl’s residence at a supervised living facility near the cemetery provided police with a clear location to begin their suspect search following the discovery of the body. The proximity between the facility and crime scene enabled rapid identification and arrest.
The absence of any prior relationship between the 14-year-old and her victim represents a significant challenge for investigators attempting to establish motive. The confession provides certainty about who committed the act but leaves the fundamental question of why unanswered.
The Tuesday autopsy will establish the exact cause of death and provide forensic evidence supporting the investigation. The medical examination may reveal additional details about the attack that could assist investigators in understanding the circumstances.
The cooperation between the Vienna State Criminal Police Office and public prosecutor’s office indicates the case will proceed through Austria’s juvenile justice system given the suspect’s age. The 14-year-old’s legal status as a minor will affect how charges are filed and what sentences are possible if convicted.
The supervised living facility connection raises questions about the girl’s background and whether any prior behavioral indicators existed that might have predicted violent tendencies. However, no information about her history or reasons for residing at the facility has been publicly disclosed.
The investigation continues as authorities work to establish whether any evidence exists pointing toward a motive, despite the apparent lack of connection between the teenager and her elderly victim at the Vienna-Penzing cemetery.
