– It is the circumstances at the scene and what was said when the police were called, which enabled us to say that it was a case of murder as early as we did, says crime leader Håkon Johannessen in the Oslo police district to Dagbladet.
The police have been present throughout the night and in the morning at an address on Grünerløkka in Oslo, after a woman was found dead in an apartment at around 3am on Monday.
A man has been arrested and charged with murder, the Oslo police district said early Monday morning.
– Characterized by the situation
The accused man is in his late 20s. He was arrested on the spot and, according to the police, has linked himself to the act.
The man notified the police himself, police inspector Grete Lien Metlid told Dagbladet.
– The police and paramedics arrive quickly on the scene. Life-saving first aid is attempted, but the woman is pronounced dead at the scene, says Metlid.
– Was she conscious when the police got there?
– I can’t go into that.
– Pleaded guilty
At 15:00 on Monday, the initial police questioning of the accused has ended.
– He is cooperating and has explained what has happened. He has pleaded guilty, says defender Bjørn Rudjord to Dagbladet.
He does not want to comment on the details of the man’s explanation.
– He is affected by the situation, that is obvious, says Rudjord.
The accused will consent to remand, the defense further states.
The police: Not a partner relationship
The police have a guess as to who the deceased woman is, but at 12 o’clock on Monday they are still working to notify her next of kin.
Metlid describes the woman as “somewhat older” than the accused man, who is therefore in his late 20s.
– There is a relationship between them, but it does not appear to be a partnership relationship, says the police inspector.
– Is the accused known to the police from before?
– No, I would not characterize him as known to us, replies Metlid.
The man’s defense explains that the accused and the victim have known each other for a number of years.
– There are also some family lines that cross here, without me being able to go into more detail, says Bjørn Rudjord.
The deceased was visiting
She further confirms that the accused man is connected to the address in question.
– It appears that the accused lives there, while the victim was on a temporary visit, she says.
The police have seized a weapon, which they believe was used to commit the murder. However, they do not want to comment on what kind of weapon it is.
– We cannot comment on what kind of injuries the deceased was found with. The deceased will be autopsied, says crime leader Johannessen.
– Shock and disbelief
The chairman of the housing association where the woman was found dead is shaken by what has happened, and describes it as “unreal”.
– Many people who have been on Easter holiday have come home to this. It is with shock and disbelief that we experience something like this, he tells Dagbladet.
He describes the condominium, which has 128 housing units, as social and close-knit.
– It is a very nice living environment with us. There are some small apartments for rent and other larger apartments. It is a mixed living environment, says the chairman.
He says that the housing association has always used the shared backyard garden for social gatherings such as barbecues and children’s birthday parties.
– This is in contrast to what we are experiencing now. It is an incident that is terribly sad. It is one of our tenants or section owners who has experienced something you shouldn’t experience, he says.
– Very disgusting
Dagbladet has spoken to another person who is familiar with the housing association in question. She has never experienced anything similar in the area.
– It’s very disgusting. I have never experienced anything unpleasant here. Everyone I have met here is very nice, says the person.
Several of the neighbors say that they have not seen or heard anything out of the ordinary on the night of Monday.
The police have sealed off an apartment in the block of flats where the murder is said to have taken place.
22 people killed this year
No witnesses
The police’s incident leader, Arve Røtterud, tells NTB on the night of Monday that there should not have been any witnesses to the incident.
– We have been in contact with the neighboring apartments, but no one has brought anything special, so we do not have much more information as of now, says Røtterud.
The police state that they are not looking for any more perpetrators.