Stavanger police launch homicide investigation after man found dead in municipal housing

Police in Stavanger have opened a homicide investigation after a 40-year-old man was found dead in a municipal apartment on Thursday morning, Dagbladet reports. Authorities believe the victim was killed but have not identified any suspects.

The deceased has been named as Christian Rydningen Auklend, whose last confirmed sighting was at Coop Extra Paradis on Lagårdsveien 80 in Stavanger around 8 p.m. on Friday, May 29. Police are urging the public to come forward with any observations of Auklend after that time.

“We are working to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators and to map the victim’s movements in his final days,” said police prosecutor Fredrik Martin Soma. He confirmed that an autopsy would be conducted on Friday and that investigators were reviewing surveillance footage while seeking additional video evidence.

Police have conducted witness interviews, neighborhood inquiries, and forensic examinations at the scene, where the body was discovered shortly after 9 a.m. on Thursday. The victim showed signs of violence. Several items have been seized in connection with the case, though authorities declined to specify what was taken.

Soma emphasized that while no suspects have been identified, the investigation remains the force’s top priority. He reiterated that police do not believe the incident poses an ongoing threat to the public.