A 21-year-old Ukrainian who fled the war in his homeland was found dead in a burned-out Mercedes in Vienna's Donaustadt district, Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung reports. Police are investigating the case as a possible murder involving multiple suspects.
According to the newspaper, the victim was identified through dental records. Investigators believe a group of men beat the Ukrainian during what the publication describes as a "dubious meeting" in the underground garage of a luxury hotel near the Danube Canal.
"The Ukrainian was apparently beaten by a group of men in the underground garage of a Viennese luxury hotel near the Donau Canal – and then, seriously injured, was loaded onto the back seat of his own car," Kronen Zeitung writes.
The attackers allegedly drove the Mercedes to an area near an allotment garden complex in Donaustadt and set the vehicle on fire with the victim still inside. The man died from thermal shock and smoke inhalation, the newspaper reports.
Vienna's State Criminal Police Office has launched a murder investigation. Detectives are examining the victim's immediate circle and questioning friends and relatives, according to Kronen Zeitung.
The motives behind the killing remain unclear. "Was the Ukrainian involved in dark dealings and got caught up with the wrong people? Or is there a personal motive behind it?" the newspaper asks.
The victim had arrived in Austria "some time ago" and received temporary protection status, Kronen Zeitung reports. His parents are now traveling to Vienna to bring their son's body home.
