Modern technology gives answers in the Trude Espås case
After employing modern technology, the police now believe to know virtually the exact time for the murder of Trude Espås on August 8, 1996.
Previously, the police worked with a time frame of an hour plus or minus as to when the murder of Trude Espås took place. 21 years later, they mean to know the virtually the exact time of the murder, reports TV2.
The images from the case have been reviewed and they are re-scanned using current technology, says Kåre Skare Lystad, who is an ICT engineer at the Alesund police department, to the channel.
A recent animation of the speed on ferry from Geiranger along with the review of the pictures has been important in determining the time of murder. The improved information becomes important when Norwegian police will present the murder of Trude Espås in the popular crime show “Aktenzeichen XY ungelöst” on ZDF Wednesday evening. ZDF is one of Germany’s major television channels, the show can be translated as “Case Unresolved”.
Should not be archived
– We know that there were many German tourists in Geiranger on the actual day. Perhaps somebody can identify the German-speaking person we have tried to contact, and there may be someone who possesses image material that can be used, says police inspector Yngve Skovly in Møre og Romsdal police district to TV2.
20-year-old Trude Espås was killed August 8, 1996. The rape and murder of Espås is still unresolved 21 years after the fact. Police inspector Skovly believes they should not give the case up.
– Regular interrogations and ongoing analyzes of the image material are conducted, says Skovly.
Facts about the Espås case. Wikipedia
The Espås case is one of Norway’s most discussed and extensive unresolved murder cases. Trude Espås (born 1975) was raped and killed in Geiranger August 8, 1996. The case has been repeatedly resumed, without result.
The case
Trude Espås disappeared from Geiranger August 8, 1996. She was observed sitting at a viewpoint just outside the city center. The next day a comprehensive exploration campaign was launched. Eleven days later, she was found in a rock fall just outside the center of the Sunnmøre town. This triggered a massive investigation, among which Kripos was involved for several years.
The police’s work was to map all identities and vehicles in Geiranger on the day of the murder. All name sheets from hotels and campsites were collected and all who had used credit cards or observed were filed in police databases. The Police’s problem was that many of the tourists visiting Geiranger could come and disappear without leaving traces that could be linked to their identity.
The case was particularly difficult for the police because Gerianger does not have more than 270 residents, while during the tourist season there may be several thousand in the small village every day. 3100 witnesses from 37 countries have been questioned. So far no one is charged with the murder. A German-speaking male is still sought after and the police believe that this person might be the perpetrator.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
