I was a friend of Kai and i have followed this case since i did see it on the TV news in 1997. Sadly i dont think this case will ever be solved. But for you english readers that are interested in the case, here are the clips of the public news articles (google translated from Norwegian to English) that tell the story of what happen after Kai's disappearance. At least it gives an insight to the case and some sort of closure. RIP Kai.
May 13, 1997 - 22-year-old from Aure missing in Miami
22-year-old Kai Aslak Småland from Aure has disappeared under mysterious circumstances from the cruise ship SS Norway in Miami in the USA. Småland, who worked as an electrician's assistant aboard Cruiseline's supership SS Norway, disappeared when the ship was docked last Saturday. Interpol and the local police are now looking for the Aure man. It is a despaired and dreadful mystery. Småland is a well-reflected and reliable person, the disappearance is completely incomprehensible, says the shipping company's representative in Norway, Eli Larsen to Adresseavisen.
29 May 1997 - Traces of Småland in the USA
The federal police in Florida, the FBI, have concrete clues in the search for the missing Kai Aslak Småland from Aure. That's what Adresseavisen writes. The FBI has informed the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that there are concrete clues in the case which is now being investigated. Deputy director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sjur Torgersen, suggests that the investigation resembles a kidnapping case. The 22-year-old electrician's assistant disappeared from the cruise ship "SS Norway" under mysterious circumstances on Saturday 3 May.
30 May 1997 - Kai Aslak exposed to a criminal act
Einar Småland is convinced that something criminal have happen to his son Kai Aslak, who has been missing in Miami in the USA since 3 May. The 22-year-old from Aure, who worked as an electrician's assistant on the cruise ship "SS Norway", disappeared under mysterious circumstances while the ship was docked. Both the family and the colleagues at "SS Norway" rule out that Kai Aslak has run away, or otherwise disappeared of his own free will. Einar Småland is happy about the news that the FBI now has concrete leads to follow. Småland tells Adresseavisen that it is important for the family to get answers to what has happened.
5 June 1997 - Kripos to the USA
Kripos has sent a man to the United States to join the Americans' search for the Aure man Kai Aslak Småland. Småland was an electrician's assistant on the cruise ship "SS Norway". He disappeared on 3 May when the boat was docked in Miami, Florida. Department head Ivar Follestad in Kripos arrived in Miami on Tuesday evening, and has already had meetings with the shipping company's representatives and the federal police, the FBI. Kripos wants to know what has been done, among other things, to find out if the 22-year-old has disappeared on land or at sea, writes Aftenposten.
27 June 1997 - American police search for Småland in Miami's underworld
The FBI and the Metro-Dade Police Department in Miami are now getting help from their contacts in the underworld in the search for traces of missing Kai Aslak Småland from Aure. Especially the places that give people a new identity are checked. KRIPOS investigator Ivar Folkestad, who has been in Miami to assist his American colleague, tells Adresseavisen that the police have such good contacts that with the help of photos it will be possible to check whether Kai Aslak Småland has been in contact with such places in the country. Folkestad emphasizes, however, that Småland was a solid and reliable person, and nothing will be left not searched when the work is done. At the same time, Småland's parents have now arrived in Miami, where they will be for 2 weeks. 22-year-old Kai Aslak Småland has been missing for almost 2 months, after he mysteriously disappeared from the cruise ship "SS Norway" where he worked as an electrician's assistant when the boat was docked in Miami at the beginning of May.
July 9, 1997 - Still missing
Nine weeks after Kai Aslak Småland disappeared from the SS "Norway", the police have no idea what has happened to the 22-year-old from Aure. His two parents with their son Steinar are now in the USA at the invitation of Norwegian Cruise Lines to look for their son and little brother. Småland is wanted through Interpol and the local police in Miami Florida. For now, the search is fruitless.
September 1, 1997 - Great response to Internet inquiry
The response after a search for Kai Aslak Småland was posted on the internet has been enormous. That's what Tove Thevik, who posted the call for information, told Radio 1. Many people have contacted her to help, and as far as she knows, around 50 people have posted a link to the call for help on their website. However, no concrete clues or tips have been received. A fundraising campaign has also been launched to be able to hire a private investigator. Thevik believes that approx. NOK 200,000 to finance this. So far, NOK 15,000 has come in. Kai Aslak Småland disappeared without a trace from "SS Norway" on 3 May this year. You can send money to the following account number: Nordmøre Sparebank: ####.##.##### Sparebank 1 Midt-Norge: ####.##.#####Kreditkassen: ####.##.#####
17 September 1997 - Private investigator to look for Kai Aslak
A private investigator has now been engaged to look for the missing Kai Aslak Småland in the USA. It is the money that has come in through a fundraising campaign that has made it possible to bring in a private investigator. Around NOK 30,000 has so far been raised for the campaign, but much more is needed. Einar Småland tells Tidens Krav that the investigator has been checked in every possible way, and that it is certain that he is serious and experienced. Tove Thevik, who has been looking for Kai Aslak on the internet, will be in regular contact with the investigator via the same medium. 22-year-old Kai Aslak Småland from Aure disappeared without a trace from "SS Norway" on 3 May, while the cruise ship was docked in Miami.
October 3, 1997 - Concludes the investigation
The Metro-dade Police Department in Florida has concluded the investigation into Kai Aslak Småland who disappeared from the "SS Norway" on 3 May this year. Tove Thevik tells Radio One. The police will only take up the case if new elements come to light. Thevik is not surprised, because in her view, the police in Florida have by Norwegian standards, done very little. Thevik, who together with several others has started a fundraiser to pay a private investigator, has received over NOK 60,000 so far. The fact that the police are now giving up means that we have to increase our own efforts to find Kai Aslak, says Thevik.
7 October 1997 - School pupils collected money for Småland fundraising
The money continues to flow into the fundraising for Småland. The help from students at Straumsnes school, who have collected more than NOK 5,100 by selling raffle ticket. In total, NOK 60,000 has been received so far. The money that comes in is used to pay a private investigator who has been hired to look for missing Kai Aslak Småland from Aure. The police in the USA have closed the investigation into Småland's disappearance because they lack leads to follow. Thus, the private investigator is the only hope of finding out what has happened to the 22-year-old who disappeared without a trace from the "SS Norway" while the cruise ship was docked in Miami on 3 May this year. You can send your contribution to Småland fundraising to the following bank account number: Sparebanken Midt-Norge, dept. Aure: ####.##.#####Nordmøre Sparebank: ####.##.#####Kreditkassen: ####.##.#####
9 February 1998 - Småland seen at a center for the homeless
The missing Kai Aslak Småland from Aure is said to have been seen at a center for the homeless in Miami last summer. Tove Thevik that tharted the Småland fundraising tells Radio One. According to the woman who claims to have seen Småland, he was with someone who looked like a Spaniard. The woman had seen the picture from the search for the missing 22-year-old, and was sure it was him, although she thought he had changed a little from the picture. She was also absolutely certain that he was Norwegian. Private investigator Richard Thompson, who is engaged to look for Småland, checked out the tip, but Småland was not registered with the centre. In any case, Thompson believes that this is an interesting track. Kai Aslak Småland disappeared without a trace from "SS Norway" on 3 May last year. The private investigator is now on board the cruise ship to try to shed new light on the disappearance case.
30 October 1998 - Småland killed?
Private investigator Richard Thompson's preliminary conclusion in the Småland case is that Kai Aslak Småland was killed and thrown overboard after the ship left the port of Miami on 3 May last year. Thompson writes in a letter that he feels very strongly that someone on board the ship knows exactly what has happened to Småland. The investigator is also surprised that the bounty posters have not led to any results.
5 May 1998 - Offers NOK 50,000 in bounty
The parents of Kai Aslak Småland are now offering NOK 50,000 as a reward to the person or persons who can contribute to solving the disappearance case. That's what Tidens Krav says. On 3 May it was a year since the 24-year-old from Aure disappeared without a trace from the cruise ship "SS Norway" when it was docked in Miami in the USA.
July 30, 1998 - The Ones Who Just Disappeared
155 Norwegians have disappeared under mysterious circumstances in recent years. According to Adresseavisen, at least 10 of these are from central Norway. Some of them have probably lost their lives. Others may have started a new life with a new identity somewhere else in the world. Last year alone, 28 people mysteriously disappeared in this country. Among these is Kai Aslak Småland, who disappeared without a trace from the cruise ship "SS Norway" in Miami on 3 May last year.
April 21, 2002 - Will never get over it
It is almost impossible to describe how it feels to miss Kai Aslak. It's something you never get over, anyway, says Einar Småland. For almost five years, he and his wife have lived in uncertainty about what has happened to their son. 22-year-old Kai Aslak Småland from Aure in Nordmøre has disappeared. On 3 May 1997, the cruise ship SS "Norway" docked in Miami. Kai Aslak, who worked as an electrician on board, was seen by several people until 12.30. Then a female employee saw the 22-year-old walking in the direction of the crew quarters, where he had a cabin. No one has seen him since.
Far too little was done to find him. Terribly little. We had to nag the authorities and the police, and we got terribly little help. We hit the wall. We nagged and nagged, but no one was willing to take responsibility, and everyone referred us to someone else who did the same. This particularly applied to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Kripos did something, but they did not follow up. We have been greatly disappointed by many people we thought could help, says Einar, who is also critical of the shipping company.
Now the family has not purred at anyone for a couple of years. But through family members, an American private investigator and an American volunteer organization that tracks down the missing, the hunt for the son has continued on a private basis. It has cost the family a lot of money. A support group collected over NOK 100,000.
We don't count the money. It is unthinkable to give up. My wife, Jorunn, still has hope that he is alive. Kai Aslak had just got a flat in Aure when he disappeared. The flat has now been sold, but all his things are in the boy's room at home. We have had a memorial service with the priest once a month. It helps to talk about it. From the public sector, no one has ever asked how we are doing. But the vicar has been a great help, says the father. When there is news about young people who disappear, thoughts inevitably turn to the son. The whole family comes along. We have the feeling that more resources are deployed when people go missing now. We think more would have been done if Kai Aslak had been a girl and disappeared in Norway, he says.
14 October 2002 - Memorial for Småland
The missing Kai Aslak Småland from Aure will have a memorial in the churchyard in his home municipality. The 22-year-old disappeared from the cruise ship SS Norway when it was docked in Miami in May 1997, and has still not been found. Tove Thevik in Action Småland, believes there is little chance of finding the missing person alive. Parish priest in Aure, Per Eilert Orten, says it is important for the relatives to have a memorial grave to go to.
December 14, 2005 - Will investigate cruise crime
In two years, 13 people have disappeared from cruise ships. Now the Americans fear that more people have become victims of cruise crime. Cruise ships are like small towns, with crime ranging from small things to the truly tragic, says Christopher Shays, a member of the US Congress, after the cruise industry recently estimated that 13 people have disappeared from cruise ships in the past two years. Now the hearings are underway to find out how such things can happen. Norwegian citizens have also experienced losing theirs under unknown circumstances on board such ships. In 1997, 22-year-old Kai Aslak Småland from Aure disappeared from the cruise ship "SS Norway" in Miami, USA. He then worked on board this ship. Interpol and the local police searched for the Aure man, but he was not found.
