New Swedish man suspected of murder of Norwegian billionaire's wife

Almost eight years ago, on October 31, 2018, the Norwegian billionaire's wife Anne-Elisabeth Hagen disappeared from her home in Sloraveien in the municipality of Lørenskog in southeastern Norway. She was never found, but the police still made the assessment that she was killed before she was taken away.

Since last spring, mainly one person has been formally suspected of the crime, a previously convicted man in his 50s, but on Friday the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang wrote that another perpetrator is suspected. It concerns a Swedish man, who is suspected of murder or complicity in murder, writes the Norwegian public service channel NRK.

- Due to the investigation, we have not been able to confirm this until now, because it could have affected the man's information about a possible connection to the case, says prosecutor Lisbeth Ravlo Backe to the channel.

According to the prosecutor, the man is in Sweden and is said to have been questioned on two occasions. According to Verdens Gang, he has previously been punished, but the prosecutor does not want to confirm that information to NRK.

Backe does not want to comment on whether there is any relationship between the Swedish man and the other suspected perpetrator.

Over the years, several people have been suspected in the case. One of them is Anne-Elisabeth Hagen's husband, the Norwegian billionaire Tom Hagen. The suspicions against him have now been written off completely from the investigation due to lack of evidence. Earlier in September, the prosecutor stated that the murder was so "professionally" carried out that it was obvious that there was more than one perpetrator involved.

Verdens Gang has spoken to the person who, according to the police, is the Swedish man's defense lawyer.

"I can neither confirm nor deny the extent to which I have such an assignment, due to confidentiality and ethical considerations," writes the lawyer in a text message to the newspaper.