Everything we know about the disappearance and death of Birna Brjánsdóttir: Still many unanswered questions

By Staff |Jan 23 2017

Police believes it is all but certain that Birna Brjánsdóttir, a 20 year old local girl who went missing on January 14, was murdered. Police also believes that it has the perpetrators, two crew members of the Greenlandic trawler Polar Nanoq, in custody. The crew of the coast guard helicopter TF-LÍF found what investigators believe is Birna's body yesterday in the beach near Selvogsviti lighthouse on the south coast of Reykjanes peninsula.

Was missing for 8 days
Birna Brjánsdóttir who was 20 years old lived in Reykjavík. Her parents contacted the Metropolitan Police on Saturday January 13 when she failed to show up at work. She had gone out to a bar with a friend the night before, and was last seen leaving the bar Húrra in downtown Reykjavík at 5:00 AM. Her parents and friends were immediately extremely concerned as it was very unlike Birna to not be in contact or not show up at home or work. 

Read more: Body of missing girl found: All evidence points to murder by two Greenlandic fishermen

Using footage from security cameras Police was quickly able to trace her footsteps through downtown Reykjavík. She was last seen in CCTV footage at 5:25 AM on Laugavegur street. Just a few seconds later a red Kia Rio automobile was seen near the spot where Birna disappeared. The focus of the Police investigation then focused on finding the car. 

Largest Missing person's search in Icelandic history
Birna's body was finally found at 13:00 on Sunday January 22. On Saturday and Sunday the Icelandic Search and Rescue Units mounted the largest missing person search in Icelandic history. In addition to the Police and Coast Guard at least 570 members of ICE-SAR participating in the search on Saturday, according to the local news site Vísir. 

Since the search began 685 members of ICE-SAR with 11 tracking dogs had participated from 71 different Search and Rescue Units and 50 different Marine Rescue units from around Iceland. According to Vísir 775 volunteers participated in the search which covered 7,000 km (4,350 miles) of shoreline and roads.

What Police does and does not know
The following list is based on the ongoing coverage of the case in local media and press conferences and public announcements by the police. A map showing the key locations in the case is embedded at the end of this story.

• On Tuesday afternoon Police located what it believes is the red Kia Rio which had been the focus of the investigation during the first couple of days. The car had been traced to crew members of a Greenlandic trawler which had been harboured in Hafnarfjörður harbour. 

• Police has confirmed that DNA investigation shows that blood which was found in the car belongs to Birna. The men had attempted to clean the car before they returned it to the car rental on Saturday.

• Police has also confirmed that damage to the rental car point to it having been driven on rough trails not intended for small compact cars. The damage to the car caused the Police to suspect the men might have driven the car on rough paths in the lava fields on Reykjanes peninsula.

• On Wednesday Police arrested two crew members of the Greenlandic trawler Polar Nanoq who are believed to be responsible for the death of Birna. A third man was arrested but released after questioning.

• A fourth man was later arrested after police discovered large amounts of drugs on board the trawler. Police now says the two cases are being investigated as separate cases, although one of the men in custody suspected of Birna's murder is also suspected to be connected to the smuggling operation. According to Police at least 20 kg (44 lbs) of pressed hashish blocks, with a street value of at lest 228 million ISK (2 million USD/1.9 million EUR) was found on board the ship.

• The two men who are suspected of Birna's murder are both Greenlandic nationals in their 20s. Police is certain that Birna did not know the two men, nor did she have any prior contact with them.

• The men, who are being held in solitary confinement, have not been questioned over the weekend. They have been made aware of the fact that Birna's blood was found in the car, but not that her body has been found. Their interrogation will continue today, Monday or tomorrow, Tuesday.

• The police has yet to confirm the cause of death, nor can the exact time of death be confirmed. However, Police believes she most likely died in the red Kia Rio where her blood was discovered. 

• No murder weapon has been found. Birna's phone has not been found, the last signal from the phone was picked up by a telecommunications antenna in Hafnarfjörður town, near the harbour where the Polar Nanoq was harboured, at 5:50 AM on Saturday. The phone was turned off shortly thereafter.

• Police cannot say with certainty what the men did between the time when Birna disappeared at 5:25 AM on Saturday morning and 6:10 AM when the car can be seen driving up to the trawler Polar Nanoq where it is harboured in Hafnarfjörður harbour. Around 6:00AM the car can be seen in security camera footage at a nearby golf course. The driver is described as behaving suspiciously in the footage. The car then enters a controlled area at the harbour at 6:10 AM. The men can be seen talking to one another on security camera footage from the harbour before one of them boards the ship while the other later leaves the harbour area, and then returns at 11:30 AM. The trawler left harbour in the afternoon. 

• The men's travels on Saturday morning have yet to be mapped out. Police does not know what one of the two men did between 7:00 AM and 11:30 AM. The car was driven nearly 300 km (186 miles) which have not been explained.

• When the man returns to the harbour he enters the area where Birna's shoes were later found. The man spent about 25 minutes in this area which is not covered by security cameras. Police believes the shoes could have been planted to mislead investigators.

• Police does not know where the body was dumped. Police has confirmed that the body was not dumped from the trawler at sea, but must have been thrown into the ocean from the coast. Ocean currents where she was found are rather unpredictable. The Icelandic Meteorological Office and the Police are currently working to determine the likeliest place.

• Police is still working through data from mobile phones, including the phones of the two men in custody.

Previous Iceland Magazine coverage of the case:

We at Iceland Magazine have been covering this horrible case since it first broke. Here is a rundown of our coverage to date. 

Sunday Jan 22:

Birna's body was found eight days after she was discovered missing.

Read more: Body of missing girl found: All evidence points to murder by two Greenlandic fishermen

Friday Jan 20

More details about the drug find on-board the Greenlandic trawler.

Read more: Forensic search of Greenlandic trawler: 20-40 kg (44-88 lbs) of hash blocks found

Police believes the two men held in custody are responsible for the murder of Birna.

A large scale search had been underway since Saturday for 20 year old local woman. Police feared foul play.

Read more: Young local woman missing since Saturday: Have you seen her?