Norwegian police seize traffic, toll, and financial records in new arrest over 2018 disappearance

A man in his 50s has been formally charged in connection with the 2018 disappearance of Anne-Elisabeth Hagen, Dagbladet reports, though police confirm he denies any involvement. Authorities have collected his toll passage records, call traffic data, and financial information as part of the ongoing investigation.

The suspect was granted formal charge status after being notified of the seizures, police prosecutor Guro Holm Hansen told the newspaper. She confirmed investigators obtained toll records spanning “a couple of months” and call traffic data covering a four-week period, with all seizures conducted in 2024. Hansen declined to specify whether the data pertained to the time of Hagen’s disappearance or later dates, citing investigative concerns.

Hansen also acknowledged that police had gathered “some financial information” about the man but provided no further details. She emphasized that evidence is being collected to assess both guilt and innocence, though it remains “too early to comment on the findings.”

The man’s defense attorney, Victoria Holmen of Elden Advokatfirma, stated over the weekend that the primary basis for the charge appears to be the suspect’s presence in Lørenskog on the day Hagen vanished. “As of now, I am not aware of any other evidence supporting the charge,” Holmen said.

Police have neither confirmed nor denied reports that the man was previously flagged in the case. Hansen refused to disclose how he came under scrutiny or whether he has ties to Hagen’s family or other persons of interest. She also declined to elaborate on the “specific individuals and environments” central to the investigation, which authorities have previously acknowledged as a focus.

Unverified reports suggest police recently searched multiple addresses in Oslo and eastern Norway linked to the suspect but did not locate him. Dagbladet also claims the man may have recently traveled abroad within Europe, though Hansen stated she had “no knowledge” of such movements.

The suspect, who has prior convictions in Norway, has declined to provide a statement to police. Hansen confirmed no further legal measures against him are currently under consideration, and no interview has been scheduled. “We are working on several tracks in parallel,” she said.

Hagen, then 75, disappeared from her Lørenskog home on October 31, 2018. Though her body has never been found, police have treated the case as a homicide investigation.