The Disappearance of Anne-Elisabeth Hagen

The disappearance

Anne-Elisabeth Hagen disappeared from the home she shared with her husband, businessman Tom Hagen, in Lørenskog on October 31, 2018. A message left at the residence presented the disappearance as a kidnapping and demanded a large payment in cryptocurrency.

Police initially investigated the case quietly, in part because of concern for Anne-Elisabeth's safety. The disappearance was made public in January 2019 after investigators concluded that broader assistance from the public was needed.

From kidnapping theory to homicide investigation

As time passed without a verified sign of life, police increasingly questioned whether the ransom demand reflected a genuine kidnapping. Investigators later said they believed Anne-Elisabeth had probably been killed and removed from the home, although her body has never been recovered and no court has established what happened.

The case generated extensive digital, financial, communications and surveillance inquiries. The unusual cryptocurrency demand became a major investigative strand, but it did not produce a criminal conviction.

Tom Hagen and the 2024 dismissal

Anne-Elisabeth's husband Tom Hagen was arrested in April 2020 and formally suspected of murder or complicity in murder. He denied involvement. A Norwegian appellate court ordered his release shortly afterward because it found the evidence insufficient for continued detention.

On October 18, 2024, Norway's Director of Public Prosecutions ended the case against Tom Hagen. The official dismissal used the strongest exonerating formulation available in this context: no criminal offence was considered proven against him. The decision explicitly stated that the evidence did not provide a basis for prosecution.

That means Tom Hagen must not be described as a current suspect or perpetrator. His former procedural status is part of the history of the investigation, but the prosecution against him is closed.

Other cleared suspects

Other people were also suspected during the long investigation. By 2025, charges against additional individuals — including a man publicly associated with cryptocurrency discussions and another man suspected of assisting preparations — were dismissed. In October 2025, the remaining charged man at that time was cleared with the same conclusion that no criminal offence was considered proven.

A new 2026 development

In late May 2026, police disclosed a new development involving a Norwegian man in his 50s. Importantly, police explained that his formal status as siktet arose automatically after investigators decided to seize material from him under Norwegian procedure. On June 1, 2026, Øst Police District stated that, apart from the seizure, it had not found reason to take further judicial steps at that point.

The man has denied involvement. His identity is omitted here because no guilt has been established and police themselves emphasized the procedural basis for the formal status.

Latest official status

On August 21, 2026, Øst Police District announced that prosecutor Lisbeth Ravlo Backe had taken over responsibility for the Lørenskog investigation. Police said resources were still being used on the case and that relevant investigative steps would continue. The stated goal remained to determine what happened to Anne-Elisabeth Hagen.

Timeline

Current status

The disappearance remains unsolved and actively investigated. Anne-Elisabeth Hagen has not been found. No person has been convicted, Tom Hagen and several earlier suspects have been formally cleared, and a new 2026 suspect has not been proven responsible. Police continue to investigate the case as a serious crime and have repeatedly said their objective is to establish what happened to her.

Related Norway case files