Earlier today the Metropolitan Police impounded a vehicle which matches the car which has been sought in connection to the disappearance of a 20 year old local woman early Saturday morning. The local news site Vísir reports that the vehicle matches the car which has been the focus of the investigation to this point, and that there are additional clues suggesting the car has been found, but investigators nevertheless cannot confirm that this is the car in question. According to information from the Police there are 126 red Kia Rio automobiles which match the car seen in the CCTV footage. Police has been tracking down every single one.
Police is now certain that the young woman, Birna Brjánsdóttir, entered a car on Laugavegur shortly after 5:25 AM, and was taken to Hafnarfjörður where a telecommunications antenna picked up a signal from her cell phone at 5:50. The phone was turned off manually shortly after this.
Read more:Young local woman missing since Saturday: Have you seen her?
Vísir also reports that the Metropolitan Police has also confirmed that black lace-up Dr Martens boots which were found near the Hafnarfjörður harbour last night belong to Birna. Police is investigating whether the boots were planted at the scene, as packed snow beneath the boots is inconsistent with the weather on Saturday when Birna disappeared.
Read more: Police does not rule out that pair of shoes believed to belong to missing woman were planted
The car is considered to be key to the investigation
The driver of the car has been sought by police as a key witness in the case. However, the driver has yet to come forward, raising suspicion.
Birna was last seen when she left the bar Húrra in downtown Reykjavík shortly after 5:00 AM on Saturday morning. Footage from security cameras in downtown Reykjavík show her walking east, along Austurstræti street, then Bankastræti street and finally Laugavegur.
Read more: Search for missing young woman: Police releases footage from surveillance cameras
She is spotted by a security camera at the intersection of Laugavegur and Klapparstígur streets at 5:25. A red Kia Rio was seen at the location a few seconds later. The driver of the car has not yet come forward.
Driver seen behaving strangely early Saturday morning
Earlier today Police received a tip that a surveillance tape from a golf club in the suburb of Kópavogur, north of where the boots were found and Birna's phone was turned off, shows a red Kia Rio. Vísir reports that the footage, taken at 5:53, just minutes after Birna's phone was turned off, shows a vehicle driving into the parking lot of the golf club. The video shows that the driver of the car notices that there is a camera recording the parking lot, and the car then suddenly speeds off.
Rental car, used by foreign nationals
The car, which the police impounded earlier today, is a rental car. The individual which signed the rental agreement works for a company in Kópavogur. According to the sources of Vísir the individual had lent the vehicle to foreign nationals over the weekend. The Police has told vísir that there are no suspects.
Earlier today Police received a court order to allow it to examine the records of all cellphones which connected to antennas at the same time as Birna's phone.
The map below shows the key locations mentioned in this story.
Earlier today the Metropolitan Police impounded a vehicle which matches the car which has been sought in connection to the disappearance of a 20 year old local woman early Saturday morning. The local news site Vísir reports that the vehicle matches the car which has been the focus of the investigation to this point, and that there are additional clues suggesting the car has been found, but investigators nevertheless cannot confirm that this is the car in question. According to information from the Police there are 126 red Kia Rio automobiles which match the car seen in the CCTV footage. Police has been tracking down every single one.
Police is now certain that the young woman, Birna Brjánsdóttir, entered a car on Laugavegur shortly after 5:25 AM, and was taken to Hafnarfjörður where a telecommunications antenna picked up a signal from her cell phone at 5:50. The phone was turned off manually shortly after this.
Read more:Young local woman missing since Saturday: Have you seen her?
Vísir also reports that the Metropolitan Police has also confirmed that black lace-up Dr Martens boots which were found near the Hafnarfjörður harbour last night belong to Birna. Police is investigating whether the boots were planted at the scene, as packed snow beneath the boots is inconsistent with the weather on Saturday when Birna disappeared.
Read more: Police does not rule out that pair of shoes believed to belong to missing woman were planted
The car is considered to be key to the investigation
The driver of the car has been sought by police as a key witness in the case. However, the driver has yet to come forward, raising suspicion.
Birna was last seen when she left the bar Húrra in downtown Reykjavík shortly after 5:00 AM on Saturday morning. Footage from security cameras in downtown Reykjavík show her walking east, along Austurstræti street, then Bankastræti street and finally Laugavegur.
Read more: Search for missing young woman: Police releases footage from surveillance cameras
She is spotted by a security camera at the intersection of Laugavegur and Klapparstígur streets at 5:25. A red Kia Rio was seen at the location a few seconds later. The driver of the car has not yet come forward.
Driver seen behaving strangely early Saturday morning
Earlier today Police received a tip that a surveillance tape from a golf club in the suburb of Kópavogur, north of where the boots were found and Birna's phone was turned off, shows a red Kia Rio. Vísir reports that the footage, taken at 5:53, just minutes after Birna's phone was turned off, shows a vehicle driving into the parking lot of the golf club. The video shows that the driver of the car notices that there is a camera recording the parking lot, and the car then suddenly speeds off.
Rental car, used by foreign nationals
The car, which the police impounded earlier today, is a rental car. The individual which signed the rental agreement works for a company in Kópavogur. According to the sources of Vísir the individual had lent the vehicle to foreign nationals over the weekend. The Police has told vísir that there are no suspects.
Earlier today Police received a court order to allow it to examine the records of all cellphones which connected to antennas at the same time as Birna's phone.
The map below shows the key locations mentioned in this story.
