Kidnappers who seized wife of one of Norway’s richest men ‘made contact’ to say she’s alive

Kidnappers who seized the wife of one of Norway’s richest men ‘have made fresh contact with her family to say she is alive’ after police said she may have been killed

  • Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen vanished from her home in Lorenskog, Norway
  • A £8million ransom demand in cryptocurrency but police fear she was murdered
  • Family reportedly paid over €1 million ransom but lost contact with kidnappers
  • Since police said she was feared dead, family sent message saying she is alive

Kidnappers who snatched the wife of one of Norway’s richest men made contact with her family after it was feared she may have been murdered.

Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen, who is married to businessman Tom Hagen, disappeared on October 31 last year from her home in Lorenskog.

It was believed she was kidnapped after a note was found at their home in Lorenskog, east of Oslo, saying she would be killed if a ransom wasn’t paid. 

But eight months on from her disappearance, police suggested she might have been killed and her abduction staged to cover up the murder.

When the 68-year-old vanished last Halloween a £8 million (€9 million) ransom was demand in cryptocurrency.

Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen vanished last Halloween from her home in Lorenskog, Norway

A €9 million (£8 million) ransom in cryptocurrency has been demanded by the kidnappers who grabbed Falkevik Hagen from her home where the couple lived a 'secluded existance'

A €9 million (£8 million) ransom in cryptocurrency has been demanded by the kidnappers who grabbed Falkevik Hagen from her home where the couple lived a ‘secluded existance’ 

At a press conference held by the lead investigating officer, inspector Tommy Broske, it was revealed the suspected kidnappers had made contact with her family.

The message came weeks after Norwegian police said investigators suspected Falkevik Hagen is dead.

Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen is married to businessman Tom Hagen (pictured)

Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen is married to businessman Tom Hagen (pictured)

Yesterday Broeske said that although contact had been made saying she was alive, there was no proof and officers still believe it it unlikely she is alive. 

He said, according to Danish newspaper BT that,’we still think there is little probability Anne-Elisabeth Hagen is alive’.

Broeske wouldn’t rule it out her still being alive, but stressed that police have not changed their main hypothesis, that Hagen was murdered and a kidnapping rigged to fool police. 

He added: ‘We emphasise that we have no evidence that she is dead and therefore cannot rule out her living.

‘Until we have complete and relevant evidence [that Hagen is alive], we view it as probable that this is a murder case.’ 

Earlier reports in the Norwegian media stated that the family paid the equivalent of more than €1 million (£905,000) in an account police have not been able to track down.

No messages had been received since the ransom payment was made early last month, sparking fears Falkevik Hagen was dead.

Stein Holden, the family’s lawyer, would not reveal the method of communication the kidnappers used, but said it was a ‘clear message’ that she is still alive. 

Holden said the family believe she isn’t dead, adding: ‘It would surprise me if the police now rule out that Hagen can be alive.’  

Police Inspector Tommy Broeske talking during a media conference on the disappearance of Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen yesterday

Police Inspector Tommy Broeske talking during a media conference on the disappearance of Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen yesterday 

Police said a note found in the couple's house describing what would happen to Falkevik Hagen if the demanded ransom was not paid

Police said a note found in the couple’s house describing what would happen to Falkevik Hagen if the demanded ransom was not paid

Only limited contact between police and the suspects was made in the wake of the kidnap with the only communication sent through encrypted digital platforms. 

Police do not know if she was being held in the same place since her kidnap or been taken outside of Norway as he Hagens’ home is just 31 miles from the Swedish border. 

She was said to have been attacked when raiders snatched her from the couple’s bathroom at their house which is surrounded by woodland. 

At the time, police released CCTV of a man seen walking outside Hagen’s office on the day his wife went missing.  

Many Norwegian media outlets knew of Falkevik Hagen’s disappearance but did not publish any details after the police warned against publicising the kidnap over fears the attackers would harm the victim. 

According to the magazine Kapital, Tom Hagen has an estimated fortune of 1.7 billion kroner (€174 million, £156m).

He owns 70 per cent of electricity company Elkraft which he co-founded in 1992, Norwegian media reported.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk