Murder trial: Birna's blood was all over the vehicle

Puddles of blood were found in the back seat of the red Kia Rio car which was rented by  Thomas Møller Ol­sen and Ni­kolaj Wil­helm Her­luf Olsen, the vehicle which Birna entered into on Laugavegur on the night of January 14th. Police testify that there was so much blood that it was visible straight away inside the vehicle when the found it.

Blood was found using Luminol liquid, in the back seat, in the ceiling, on the dashboard, on the sunroof and on the door as reported by forensic expert Björgvin Sigurðsson at the Reykjavik Metropolitan Police at court this morning.

Sigurðsson was the first to investigate the vehicle but after finding visible blood in the vehicle they made forensic tests. Blood samples found in the vehicle were sent to Sweden for DNA research and all of them were traced to Birna Brjánsdóttir. No semen was found in the vehicle.

Ragnar Jónsson, investigator at the technical and forensic department of the Reykjavik Metropolitan Police testified and said that when the Luminol liquid was applied, "The car just lit up, at the back." Jónsson says it's clear that Birna received two separate blows which led to the bleeding, from a broken nose and from her lip.

Sigurðsson was the one who checked Birna's Doc Marten shoes for forensic evidence and found two blood stains on them. E pithelium cells from both Thomas Møller Ol­sen and Birna was found on the shoelaces of the left shoe.

Sigurðsson was asked about the clothes found in Olsen's cabin and he testified that no blood had been found in those. A sweater and a T-shirt were found in a washing machine on the ship and was still damp when sent in for forensic investigation. Upon investigation the clothes tested for blood.

A third crew member, Inuk Kristianssen who accompanied Thomas when he returned the car to the car rental on Saturday, January 14th testified to experiencing a strange smell inside the vehicle.  Kristianssen's anorak, which he had left in the car the night before was returned to him, washed and dried by Olsen on Saturday. Olsen had told him a girl had thrown up on it. Upon forensic investigation, traces of Birna's blood were found on the anorak.

„How it got on the anorak, I can't say.“

Today is the second day of the trial of Thomas Møller Ol­sen who is charged with the murder of Birna Brjánsdóttir who disappeared after getting into the red Kia Rio on Laugavegur, the main shopping street in Reykjavik, at around 5 am on the morning of January 14th.

Birna's body was found a week later, washed up on a beach.  The search for Birna was the most extensive search ever to have been conducted in Iceland.

There are 37 people bearing witness in the case, twelve of them who appeared before the court yesterday. Amongst them was Ni­kolaj Wil­helm Her­luf Olsen, who was cleared of suspicion in aiding the crime when no blood was found on his clothing.