Man convicted of lifelong imprisonment for strangling friend in Vienna flat

In a Vienna courtroom, a 36-year-old man received a life sentence for killing a 41-year-old friend during an argument that escalated into a violent struggle. The judge called the maximum term "inevitable" and ordered the offender into a forensic-therapeutic facility, citing severe psychosocial neglect and substance-dependency issues. The verdict remains subject to appeal after the defense lodged a nullity complaint.

Investigators discovered the victim’s corpse concealed in plastic and a covering sheet beneath the bed after neighbors complained of a rotting odor, leading police to force entry and use a detection dog. The defendant claimed the death was accidental and denied intent, but forensic evidence confirmed death by prolonged strangulation and additional neck injuries suggesting post-mortem tampering. A psychiatric expert warned that, without ongoing treatment, the offender poses a continued risk of impulsive violent acts.