The Attorney General drops the Stavern case – adressa.no

– In order to close a case on the basis that no criminal offense is considered proven, it is required that the investigation results strongly suggest that a criminal offense has been committed. As a starting point, it can be said that there must be clear, concrete information that speaks against criminal guilt, says the decision from the Attorney General.

A man in his 50s was found dead in a home in Stavern in Larvik on 2 January. His roommate, a woman in her 40s, was charged with murder and wanted internationally. The woman was found dead two months later outdoors in a hiking area.

– The investigation results in both cases clearly point in the direction that neither the deceased man nor the woman has been exposed to a criminal offence, writes Sørøst police district in a press release.

– Relief

Those left behind by the deceased man are very relieved at the death, says solicitor Sol Elden in a statement to NTB.

– Knowing that the deceased were not involved in each other’s deaths – and that the deaths were due to tragic circumstances – is a great relief for those left behind, says Elden.

– The Attorney General’s dismissal puts a final point in a painful and difficult case for all those affected.

Search operation for months

For months, an extensive search was made to find the missing woman.

Large amounts of snow made the search difficult during the winter months. Several diver searches were carried out in the harbor basin, as well as at hiking areas where the cohabiting couple often went for walks. Dozens of volunteers took part in the search, including relatives.

The woman was finally found dead on 13 March by a hiker just outside a path down by the water at Tenvikodden in Larvik.

At the start of the police investigation, the police received criticism from the next of kin in the case for coming up with different theories about what could have happened. The police then apologized to the next of kin for the handling of the case