The first picture of a Gambian asylum seeker accused of killing an American au-pair in her apartment in Vienna has emerged.

The man - identified only as Abdou I. - has been charged with murdeing Lauren Mann but insists he was not in the city at the time of her death.

Austrian police have claimed he may have acted out of jealousy after finding Lauren lying next to a 15-year-old Afghan boy.

Lauren, 25, was found naked at her apartment in the Wieden district of the Austrian capital on January 25 after her employers told police she had not picked up their child from school.

Abdou l, left, is accused of murdering Lauren Mann, right in the Austrian capital city of Vienna

Lauren Mann, 25, was found naked at her apartment in the Wieden district of the Austrian capital on January 25 after her employers told police she had not picked up their child from school

According to The Local, investigators now believe Abdou I. killed her in a jealous rage after entering her flat and finding her with her arm around a 15-year-old boy from Afghanistan.

During a police interview, the 24-year-old suspect said he had left the city and was in Switzerland when she was killed.

Firemen broke down the door to her flat to find her half-undressed body lying face down on a mattress and surrounded by burning candles, having been violently suffocated.

Police have already claimed that Abdou's sperm was found on her body and bed. He has admitted having a sexual relationship with her.

Investigators now believe Abdou I. killed her in a jealous rage after entering her flat and finding her with her arm around a 15-year-old boy from Afghanistan. Police officers work at the scene of the grisly slaying

He was arrested nine days after her death at a refugee centre in Switzerland.

In March, it was reported that Ms Mann may have met him via the CouchSurfing website.

According to Kurier.at, the 25-year-old was active on CouchSurfing, and her profile on the accommodation website states she had met many friends by using the service.

Her profile also reveals she had graduated from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Music and French.