18-year-old confesses after body found in Langenzersdorf

An 18-year-old suspect has confessed after a 29-year-old man was found dead in a single-family house in Langenzersdorf, in Korneuburg district, ORF reported, citing police.

The suspect admitted the killing during questioning by the Lower Austria State Criminal Police Office, police spokesman Stefan Loidl said on Friday. He was taken to the Korneuburg prison, with pre-trial detention expected. Police initially gave no details about the motive.

The 29-year-old from Vienna is believed to have suffered fatal injuries during an argument at a meeting with the 18-year-old, whom he had apparently met through social media. A relative of the suspect alerted police at about 6.30am. Officers then found the body and detained the young man.

Investigators believe the victim was subjected to “massive violence” to the neck and head, Loidl said. No weapon has been found. The Korneuburg public prosecutor’s office has ordered an autopsy.

The suspect is from Korneuburg district and is reportedly a Hungarian citizen, according to media reports. The owner of the house was on holiday and had asked the 18-year-old’s family to look after the property while he was away.