Nurse arrested in Lower Austria on suspicion of murder after exhuming the body of an elderly man
A nurse in Lower Austria has been in pre-trial detention for several months due to serious criminal investigations related to suspicions of murder and serious fraud, after being suspected of involvement in the appropriation of the entire wealth of one of her deceased clients in 2021, in a complex case that prompted authorities to exhume the deceased's body to re-examine the cause of death.
According to what the Kronen newspaper reported, the nurse is suspected of having manipulated legal arrangements that enabled her to inherit the client's money, who was a wealthy retired man living in the Vienna area. Her lawyer confirmed the ongoing investigations, noting that the body of the man who died in 2021 was exhumed after suspicions arose that extend beyond fraud to the possibility of committing a murder. The lawyer explained that she is waiting for the results of the autopsy before delving into broader details, expressing her belief that a murder charge will ultimately not be filed. She considered that the investigations are based on testimonies from witnesses she described as suspicious, affirming that her client is completely innocent and that the case stems from a vengeful motive. In contrast, authorities confirmed that the nurse remains in provisional detention until the investigations are completed.
In the middle of the news, the head of the criminal office of Lower Austria confirmed that the investigation indeed includes suspicion of murder, in addition to other charges, explaining that the results of the autopsy, especially the toxicology report, have not yet been released, and are a crucial factor in determining the final course of the case. Data indicates that the nurse had been working for the retiree since 2017. At the end of 2020, she is suspected of having enlisted the help of a prisoner to bring in a person resembling the elderly man, who relied on a walker for movement, and took him with her partner to a notary to arrange a new will that entirely favored her. Later, a handwriting analysis report concluded that the signature on the will did not belong to the retiree, with a very high degree of certainty.
A few months later, specifically in February 2021, the man passed away, and all his possessions went to the nurse. The investigations did not officially begin until August 2025, following a report filed against her and her partner. During the investigations, the prisoner who secured the lookalike testified, confirming that he was promised financial compensation.
Given the possibility of the nurse's involvement in the death of the retiree, the authorities decided to exhume the body, after it was previously believed that the death was natural. The results of the autopsy, especially the toxicology report, are still pending, amid widespread anticipation regarding the course of this case that has caused a significant shock in public opinion.