Disappearance of Lørenskog – kept the case a secret: – Destructive

Now, 18 months later, Tom Hagen has been arrested and charged with murder or complicity in the murder.

– They might be suspicious of Tom Hagen from the beginning, but they may also have thought about the kidnapping. This uncertainty is characterized by the issue. They kept this a secret for a long time. It has been devastating for a murder investigation, says former police superintendent Finn Abrahamsen.

“Taking of hostages”

He previously headed the violence section of the Oslo Police. Today he is a private investigator.

He elaborates:

– It was almost a hostage situation for the police. They did not have the opportunity to implement what would have been natural. The person (s) behind has tricked the police, says Abrahamsen.

Police believe the case is characterized by “clear” and planned “misconduct”.

Tom Hagen was arrested Tuesday after “a full evidence assessment.” Police arrested the District Court of the Lower Roman Empire for jailing the billionaire for four weeks, two of them in solitary confinement. The case is appealed and a new verdict is expected on Monday.

– There is no doubt that the police are working on an explosion. They have little time. They are given time to continue working when they are imprisoned. If the Court of Appeal follows the District Court, they have two weeks in which he is in solitary confinement. Then they can ask for an extension in the future, says Abrahamsen.

Tom Hagen denies the criminal charges.

Witness observations

Former Oslo Police Chief Anstein Gjengedal says he is surprised that it was so many weeks before the police went public with the case.

– When there was no ransom demand, they should have come out with the case. In kidnapping cases, it doesn’t take long for the perpetrators to file a claim.

He believes that the witnesses’ observations may have been lost along the way.

– Witness observations are important in cases like this. All experience indicates that the fresher the observations of the witnesses, the better it will be, he says.

The specialist psychologist Pål Grøndahl, and author of the book “On the murder”, tells about “the golden hour”.

– It’s the first hour after a murder is reported. So it’s important to secure leads and make quick inquiries. It is impossible now, he says.

Various hypotheses

Grøndahl emphasizes that it is impossible to know exactly when the police constructed a different hypothesis than the one they faced in kidnapping.

– It may have happened almost at the same time, but that the police maintained a double investigation to avoid entering confirmation cases. They verified various hypotheses, he says.

The specialist psychologist emphasizes that this murderous research seems to stand out from most others.

– A lot of time has passed. Traces can disappear and become covered. If they are talking about others, they may be far away now. They can be difficult to track even if you find out who they are.

commentary

Grøndahl says 70 percent of Norwegian killings are in a state of intoxication. Most occur spontaneously and are poorly planned. Therefore, virtually all murders in Norway are solved.

– This case is very special. It is an unknown reason, he tried to hide and in an environment with many resources. It is a difficult job for the police and therefore takes time. This is an atypical murder.

– You may have lost evidence

It was the threat and the strips found in the couple’s home, which confirmed that Anne-Elisabeth had been kidnapped.

Starting last summer, the police believed more that they were facing murder.

At the press conference after the arrest on Tuesday, police lawyer Åse Kjustad Eriksson was asked about the considerations surrounding keeping the case secret in the early phase and how it may have affected the case now.

– Since the evidence and the case were seen initially, then we consider it the best solution. In hindsight, we may have lost information and evidence, that it has been lost or weakened. But the situation seemed to be the choice of the police that was the best way to do it in hopes of resurrecting Anne-Elisabeth, she said.