A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a 30-year-old woman in Vorarlberg, Austria.

The jury found him guilty of strangling the victim in March 2022 and disposing of her body in a drainage ditch.

The court heard that the accused had financial disputes with the victim, who had lent him €15,000. His co-defendant, a 22-year-old man, received a two-month suspended sentence for failing to prevent the crime.

The case was marked by conflicting testimonies from both men regarding the events of that night, but DNA evidence linked the older man to the crime.

The verdict is not yet final as the defense plans to appeal.