Couple arrested in 2024 disappearance now charged with murder

A married couple has been formally charged with the murder of Ragge Løkkeberg, 61, who vanished in February 2024 after leaving a hospital in Lillehammer, Dagbladet reports. The pair, a man in his late 20s and a woman in her late 40s, were remanded in custody for four weeks by Nord-Troms and Senja District Court on Wednesday.

Police confirmed they have not recovered a body but believe Løkkeberg is dead. “We consider it most probable that he was killed by the accused,” said police inspector Henning Klauseie. “This conclusion is based on a combination of evidence, though much remains confidential at this stage.”

The accused man is described by investigators as a close relative of Løkkeberg. Both suspects were arrested in Tromsø on Tuesday and had previously been detained in 2025 on fraud charges related to withdrawing Løkkeberg’s pension payments after his disappearance. They were released at the time but remained under investigation.

Løkkeberg, originally from Grue in Innlandet, was living in Koppom, Sweden, near the Norwegian border when he went missing. Swedish insurers alerted Norwegian police in late 2024 while processing a fire insurance claim, prompting a missing persons inquiry that later escalated into a homicide investigation.

The couple, who lived near Løkkeberg in Sweden before relocating to Troms in 2024, have denied misusing his funds despite transactions linked to their accounts. Innlandet Police District, leading the case with support from Kripos, has requested their transfer to its jurisdiction. “Our priority now is locating the body,” Klauseie stated.