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Sigrid’s blood found in suspect’s caravan: report

Traces of blood from the slain Norwegian teen Sigrid Giskegjerde Schetne have been located in the caravan home of a 37-year-old murder suspect, according to a media report.

Published: 28 September 2012 11:22 CEST

Sigrid's blood found in suspect's caravan: report

Photo: NTB Scanpix

According to the Verdens Gang (VG) daily the traces of blood are now among the strongest pieces of evidence police now hold in the ongoing investigation into the teen's murder.

Two men – a 37-year-old from Ålesund and a 64-year-old from Vestby – are currently remanded in custody in connection with the killing.

The police are working on the theory that the 37-year-old killed Sigrid, wrapped her in plastic and dumped her on the slope where she was found on Kolbotn.

The traces of blood were later left in the caravan known to be where the 37-year-old had been living at the time of the murder.

There are several other items which link the men and their workshop to the 16-year-old's killing. These include the plastic Sigrid was wrapped in when she was found murdered and, according to a TV2 report, several straps used to bound the teen.

Furthermore, the police have been able to connect the 37-year-old's green Citroën to a toll booth on Strømsveien around the time of Sigrid's disappearance.

The 37-year-old has meanwhile denied that he was driving the vehicle at the time, arguing that there were several others who could have had access to the keys.

The police were however unwilling to confirm the information in VG's report.

"We wouldn't comment on findings that have been made in the case as it could be devastating for the investigation," said Cecilie Gulnes at Oslo police.

The 37-year-old's lawyer, John Christian Elden, declined to comment on the matter.

"I am not going to comment on this now. We hope the matter is resolved in the best possible way," he said.

Sigrid Giskegjerde Schetne disappeared on her way home from a friend's house at around midnight on Saturday August 4th, prompting a massive police and public search.

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Norwegian police charge Olympic champion's father for domestic violence

Jakob Ingebrigtsen and two of his brothers, Henrik and Filip, who are also athletes, shocked Norway last October when they accused their father of being violent.

“We grew up with a very aggressive and authoritarian father, who used physical violence and threats as part of his upbringing,” the brothers wrote in an op-ed for newspaper VG. “We still feel a sense of discomfort and fear that we have felt since childhood,” they added.

Police opened a probe into the abuse claims and on Monday said prosecutors had decided to charge Gjert Ingebrigtsen, 58, with domestic violence against one of his children.

According to a source close to the case, the acts in question do not concern the trio of known athletes but another, younger child.

Over a period of four years, from 2018 to 2022, Gjert Ingebrigtsen allegedly manhandled, insulted, threatened and hit the child in the face with his hand or with a towel.

Responding to questions from AFP, Therese Braut Vage, who led the investigation, would not confirm this account.

Police said they had closed investigations into other events concerning the six other children in the home either due to a lack of evidence or, in one case, because the statute of limitations having expired.

Gjert, who coached Jakob until after the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo — where Jakob won the gold — has always denied the accusations against him.

“As far as the dismissed cases, we agree that there is no evidence to prove that Ingebrigtsen committed any wrongdoing,” his lawyer John Christian Elden told AFP on Monday.

“For the rest, Ingebrigtsen disputes the description of the facts on which the indictment is based — and he therefore does not admit his guilt,” he continued in an email.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen is the most successful of the three brothers, twice winning gold in the world championships 5000m in 2022 and 2023, as well as the Olympic 1500m gold.

The 23-year-old is also preparing for the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.

Henrik, 33, and Filip, 31, were European champions in the 1500m in 2012 and 2016 respectively.

After breaking with his sons, Gjert Ingebrigtsen shocked Norwegian athletics by becoming the trainer of another runner, Narve Gilje Nordas.

The Norwegian Olympic Committee has said that Gjert will not be granted accreditation for the Olympic Games in Paris this summer, as was the case at last year’s World Athletics Championships.

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