The 51-year-old female academic, referred to as Eva by the Expressen newspaper, disappeared from her apartment in central Örebro on the morning of December 29th.

Her 50-year-old colleague, with whom she previously had a relationship, was brought in for questioning on New Year’s Day.

Prosecutor Helena Eckerroth Flodin submitted the remand request to Örebro District Court shortly after 11am on Tuesday, newspaper Aftonbladet reported.

“The prosecutor has requested he be remanded in custody on the higher degree of suspicion, that is to say, probable cause. The overall situation with the investigation allows for the assessment to look as it does,” said Örebro police spokesperson Torbjörn Carlson to the TT news agency.

He refused to speculate, however, as to whether or not the missing woman may still be alive.

“Clearly, the chances of her being found alive drop with every day that passes,” he said.

The woman’s car has been found within Örebro county, but police won’t disclose the exact location of the find. According to the local Nerikes Allehanda newspaper, the keys were also found in the car.

Traditional investigative work led police to the 50-year-old currently under suspicion, who was detained following an initial interrogation.

The man denies having committed any crime.