Vienna police reconstruct face of unidentified cellar victim

Vienna police have released a facial reconstruction of a man found dead in a cellar in the city’s Margareten district, hoping to identify him, ORF reported.

The body was discovered on April 16, 2024, during renovation work in the basement of an apartment building. Investigators found clear indications of homicide, which is believed to have taken place about 25 years ago. Searches of national and international databases and the earlier publication of photos of the man’s clothing yielded no clues to his identity.

Police said the reconstruction, made with the Center for Forensic Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna, is an approximation rather than an exact likeness. They have also republished photographs of the clothing.

Investigators believe the body had been buried at the location for about 25 years. The man was slim, about 170 centimetres tall and around 30 years old at the time of his death. He had a complete set of teeth and was probably from North Africa, possibly Egypt.

Police are seeking information about both the man’s identity and the perpetrator. “Murder does not expire,” police spokesman Markus Dittrich told Radio Wien.