Austrian Dad May Be Linked to Old Murder

Police take new look at killing of teenage girl 20 years ago

By Sam Gale Rosen, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 30, 2008 8:00 PM CDT

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Austrian Dad May Be Linked to Old Murder — A car passes an inn in Unterach at lake Mondsee, Upper Austria, on Wednesday, April 30, 2008, which once belonged to the wife of Josef Fritzl. (AP Photo/rubra)

The 73-year-old Austrian man who has confessed to fathering seven children by his imprisoned daughter is being investigated in connection with a 20-year-old murder case. Police say that a teenager assaulted and killed in 1986—near property owned by Fritzl's wife—bore an "incredible" resemblance to his daughter, reports the UK Times.

The girl's body was found near where Fritzl's wife had a campsite and guesthouse, and witnesses recall seeing the teen get into a car with a strange man. But inspectors caution that finding a link—and proving it—is a long shot. "We are investigating the possible connection, but at this stage the probability is not very large," says an Austrian policeman. (Read more Josef Fritzl stories.)