A court in Odesa on Wednesday ordered a 40-day detention for two men suspected of murdering another Ukrainian, a 21-year-old man, in Vienna on Nov. 26, where the victim was found in a burning car.
The two suspects, aged 19 and 45, were arrested in Ukraine on Saturday, Nov. 29, according to Austrian authorities on Tuesday.
The detention is in place as Ukraine awaits Austria’s extradition request, according to state media Ukrinform. However, an Austrian police spokesperson earlier suggested that Ukraine planned to have the criminal proceedings transferred from Austria.
Media reports suggest the victim was Daniil Kuzmin, the son of Kharkiv Deputy Mayor Serhiy Kuzmin, who was reportedly killed over financial motives. Body identification is ongoing and not finalized.
The Ukrainian court, citing the Austrian investigation, said the suspects forced the victim to transfer money from his crypto wallets before setting him and his car ablaze.
High profile murder case
On Nov. 26, locals reported a burning car in Vienna’s Donaustadt district, in which rescuers later discovered a burned body after extinguishing the flames.
The police said at the time that the victim “has traces of blows inflicted with a blunt object,” though it asserted that he likely died from “asphyxiation due to smoke inhalation or heat shock.”
It said the victim was likely a 21-year-old man reported missing earlier by “a friend of his family,” adding that authorities await a DNA confirmation after establishing the victim’s identity.
“The preliminary investigation into the fire indicates that it was likely started inside the vehicle by an accelerant. Who killed the 21-year-old and what the motive was are still the subject of extensive investigations,” the statement says.
A missing-person notice from Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said Daniil Kuzmin vanished on Nov. 25, though the Austrian authorities have yet to confirm the alleged link.
On Tuesday, a briefing by Gerhard Winkler, a representative of the Vienna State Criminal Police Department, shed more light on the case.
As reported by Ukrinform, Winkler said the 19-year-old suspect studied at the same university as the victim, based on available footage, and confirmed that the victim’s crypto wallet had a large outgoing transfer. He added that the two suspects were found with a large amount of dollars upon their arrest in Ukraine.
As for the crime scene, Winkler said the car was a black Mercedes with Ukrainian license plates that belonged to the victim’s family. He added that arson is likely involved, as a melted canister with gasoline was found in the backseat, even though the car is diesel.
However, Winkler said the victim likely died before or soon after the fire started, as forensics found no traces of soot inhalation into the lower respiratory tract.
Video footage also showed the 19-year-old suspect purchased a gas canister at a gas station.
Winkler suggested the Ukrainian authorities ruled out extradition of the suspects, saying, “the proceedings against the suspects we have identified will be conducted in Ukraine.”
However, the latest court order makes it unclear if the case is to be processed in Ukraine or Austria.