Man arrested after woman found dead in Vienna stairwell

A 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of killing his 35-year-old partner after she was found dead in a residential building’s stairwell in Vienna’s third district, ORF reports.

Police said the man was detained a few hours after the woman was discovered during the night into Friday. Officers had noticed him during attempts to resuscitate her. Police spokesman Philipp Haßlinger told Radio Wien that questioning led investigators to suspect the man.

The woman, from Eastern Europe, was not registered in Austria and was believed to have been living among people experiencing homelessness. She reportedly met the man in summer and moved in with him soon afterwards.

Initial findings suggest the couple argued in the apartment on Friday before the dispute moved into the stairwell, where the man is alleged to have used blunt force. He had no previous record of police attention or criminal convictions, according to the report.

The results of the forensic examination are not yet available. Investigators are continuing their inquiries.