Father sentenced to 16 years for killing his daughter
Þórsson was arrested near Krýsuvíkurvegur in September last year, suspected of having killed his daughter, who was found dead at the scene. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
Sigurður Fannar Þórsson has been sentenced to 16 years in prison by the Reykjavík District Court for the murder of his 10-year-old daughter near Krýsuvík on September 15, 2024. According to the court ruling, he struck the girl 9–10 times in the back of the head with a hammer.
On the day of the incident, Þórsson drove with his daughter to his workplace in Hafnarfjörður, where he retrieved a claw hammer. He claimed he intended to use it to break rock formations in the Krýsuvík lava fields and show them to his daughter.
"Did something very bad"
After driving through central Hafnarfjörður, phone records indicate that Þórsson parked his vehicle near Vatnsskarð quarries shortly after 2 p.m. Data from the girl’s mobile phone suggests she was at the location for 32 minutes. Her phone was last active just after 3 p.m. Þórsson later called emergency services around 6 p.m., stating he had "done something very bad" and that someone was dead “in the lava.” He identified the deceased as his daughter.
When police arrived, Þórsson surrendered without resistance and led them to her body, which was found lifeless in a crevice, with severe head injuries. A bloodstained hammer was found beside her. Nearby was a handwritten note from Þórsson, apologizing to his loved ones. He had also injured himself with a utility knife in a failed suicide attempt.
Claims memory loss
Þórsson claimed to have no memory of the killing. He said he had taken his daughter on a "road trip," given her a hot dog, and brought the hammer to break rocks. He only recalled finding himself later injured in a ravine, after a suicide attempt. He insisted nothing had occurred between them that day and described his daughter as "the light of his life."
Þórsson stated that he remembered nothing until he was in prison 1–2 days later. Psychiatric evaluations concluded that he was not experiencing psychosis at the time of the crime. The child’s mother reported that he had behaved normally earlier that day.
Also convicted of drug offenses
In addition to the murder charge, Þórsson was also convicted of drug offenses. During a search on the day of the killing, police found cocaine, marijuana, MDMA, crystal MDMA, and other substances in a storage container in Hafnarfjörður. However, blood tests revealed no detectable levels of drugs or alcohol on the day of the murder.
Although he confessed to the killing, Þórsson denied intending to kill his daughter.
History and compensation
Þórsson had previously lived with the child’s mother for about eight years. They separated in 2019–2020 but he had recently been staying with her after losing his home due to a cannabis cultivation case. She described him as a good father and said there were no signs he intended harm.
The court awarded the child’s mother ISK 5 million in damages for emotional distress and ISK 1.5 million to cover funeral expenses.
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