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A young local woman, Maria, who works at the downtown bar The English Pub said she had gotten to know one of the two men, Nikolaj Olsen, during his previous visits to Iceland. He has visited Iceland on numerous occasions, making Icelandic friends and acquaintances during these visits. She describes Nikolaj as a polite and soft man, who didn't drink as much as many other fishermen and sailors who frequent the bar.
She only recognized the second man, Thomas Møller Olsen, from photos in local media. Thomas Møller is being held on suspicion of having killed Birna and of being connected to a large drug find on board the trawler.
Maria said Nikolaj came to the bar on Friday January 13: "He comes in, just before midnight, when he seems to be sober. He sits down at the bar and we chat for a while." Nikolaj was in a good mood. He spoke to other guests and then plays the "lucky wheel", a kind of roulette wheel mounted on the wall behind the bar. Nikolaj strikes lucky on the wheel, winning eight large beers. Nikolaj also ordered shots.
Nikolaj was alone for most of the night, although he chatted with other guests. However, just before three o'clock Thomas Møller came to speak to Nikolaj. She says that Nikolaj had become quite intoxicated by that time. He was later asked to leave as he had fallen asleep at one of the tables.
Thomas didn't say much, but sat beside Nikolaj, drank one beer and a shot. Police believes that Thomas drove the red Kia Rio which Birna entered later that night. Shortly after Nikolaj was shown out of the bar he started calling Maria, who ignored the calls, as Nikolaj was already very drunk.
Nikolaj made nine phone calls to Maria that night. The first five calls were made before Police believes Birna entered the car which the two suspects were driving: At 3:55, 3:56, 5:16, 5:18 and 5:19 AM. Police believes Birna entered the red Kia Rio the two men were driving at 5:25AM. At 5:50 a telecommunications tower in Hafnarfjörður, near where the Polar Nanoq was harboured, received the last signal from Birna's cell phone. The phone was turned off manually shortly thereafter.
Minutes later, at 5:53AM the car is spotted on footage from security camera footage from a nearby golf course. The behavior of the driver in the footage is described as suspicious. At 6:10 the car is then seen entering the harbour area where the Polar Nanoq was located. Nikolaj then exits the car and is seen speaking with Thomas Møller for a while. At 7:00 Thomas leaves, only to return at 11:30AM. Police believes he disposed of the body of Birna during this time.
Screenshots from Maria's hone show that Nikolaj made several phone calls to her during this period: First at 6:03, then at 6:04 and finally at 6:44 AM. He also called her at 11:55 AM, after Thomas Møller had returned to the trawler.
María did not return any of the phone calls. However, she spoke with him on Snapchat in the afternoon on Saturday. She asked him if everything was ok, since he had been making frantic attempts to reach her during the morning. She says that Nikolaj claimed everything was ok, and she says there was nothing in their conversation which caused her to suspect that there was anything wrong.
After the name of the Polar Nanoq had been mentioned in local media she tried to get in touch with Nikolaj, as she knew he was a member of the crew.
"I finally got in touch with him on Tuesday, when I send him a message, and a few minutes later I get a reply. I sent him a message on Facebook, asking if he was still hung-over from Saturday morning. He said he was ok, that he was out fishing, but that the ship was returning to Iceland. He said there was trouble with the wi-fi on-board. I asked him if everything had been all right that night and he had made it on-board safe. I never got an answer."
http://icelandmag.visir.is/article/...d-phone-calls-icelandic-friend-during-fateful
She only recognized the second man, Thomas Møller Olsen, from photos in local media. Thomas Møller is being held on suspicion of having killed Birna and of being connected to a large drug find on board the trawler.
Maria said Nikolaj came to the bar on Friday January 13: "He comes in, just before midnight, when he seems to be sober. He sits down at the bar and we chat for a while." Nikolaj was in a good mood. He spoke to other guests and then plays the "lucky wheel", a kind of roulette wheel mounted on the wall behind the bar. Nikolaj strikes lucky on the wheel, winning eight large beers. Nikolaj also ordered shots.
Nikolaj was alone for most of the night, although he chatted with other guests. However, just before three o'clock Thomas Møller came to speak to Nikolaj. She says that Nikolaj had become quite intoxicated by that time. He was later asked to leave as he had fallen asleep at one of the tables.
Thomas didn't say much, but sat beside Nikolaj, drank one beer and a shot. Police believes that Thomas drove the red Kia Rio which Birna entered later that night. Shortly after Nikolaj was shown out of the bar he started calling Maria, who ignored the calls, as Nikolaj was already very drunk.
Nikolaj made nine phone calls to Maria that night. The first five calls were made before Police believes Birna entered the car which the two suspects were driving: At 3:55, 3:56, 5:16, 5:18 and 5:19 AM. Police believes Birna entered the red Kia Rio the two men were driving at 5:25AM. At 5:50 a telecommunications tower in Hafnarfjörður, near where the Polar Nanoq was harboured, received the last signal from Birna's cell phone. The phone was turned off manually shortly thereafter.
Minutes later, at 5:53AM the car is spotted on footage from security camera footage from a nearby golf course. The behavior of the driver in the footage is described as suspicious. At 6:10 the car is then seen entering the harbour area where the Polar Nanoq was located. Nikolaj then exits the car and is seen speaking with Thomas Møller for a while. At 7:00 Thomas leaves, only to return at 11:30AM. Police believes he disposed of the body of Birna during this time.
Screenshots from Maria's hone show that Nikolaj made several phone calls to her during this period: First at 6:03, then at 6:04 and finally at 6:44 AM. He also called her at 11:55 AM, after Thomas Møller had returned to the trawler.
María did not return any of the phone calls. However, she spoke with him on Snapchat in the afternoon on Saturday. She asked him if everything was ok, since he had been making frantic attempts to reach her during the morning. She says that Nikolaj claimed everything was ok, and she says there was nothing in their conversation which caused her to suspect that there was anything wrong.
After the name of the Polar Nanoq had been mentioned in local media she tried to get in touch with Nikolaj, as she knew he was a member of the crew.
"I finally got in touch with him on Tuesday, when I send him a message, and a few minutes later I get a reply. I sent him a message on Facebook, asking if he was still hung-over from Saturday morning. He said he was ok, that he was out fishing, but that the ship was returning to Iceland. He said there was trouble with the wi-fi on-board. I asked him if everything had been all right that night and he had made it on-board safe. I never got an answer."
http://icelandmag.visir.is/article/...d-phone-calls-icelandic-friend-during-fateful