Following yesterday’s interrogations of the two men suspected in the death of Birna Brjánsdóttir, police believe they now have a clearer idea of the sequence of events the day she died, RÚV reports. A decision will be made tonight or tomorrow regarding whether to request an extension of police custody of the suspects.
Birna disappeared on January 14 in downtown Reykjavík. Her body was discovered eight days later on the south coast of Reykjanes. The two suspects in custody have been in isolation for 13 days. They were interrogated yesterday for the first time in almost a week.
Chief Superintendent Grímur Grímsson stated yesterday’s interrogations were conducted partly in Greenlandic, and that an interpreter from Greenland was flown to Iceland to enable the suspects to have questions translated into their native language, and respond in their native tongue. Until yesterday, the interrogations had been conducted in Danish and English.
Grímur noted that the language had not presented any problem, but that being provided with an interpreter form Greenland was the suspects’ right and the right thing to do. Interrogations will continue today.
Grímur wouldn’t reveal what came out of the interrogations, but no confession has been made. The general picture became clearer, he remarked, following yesterday’s interrogations. It has not yet been decided whether to request an extension of police custody of both suspects. Results from the analysis of certain biological samples are still being awaited, as is the final autopsy report.
Funeral services for Birna will be held Friday at Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavík. Her family has requested that media show consideration and refrain from taking photos, both during and after the service.
