Casefile True Crime - Case 168: Guðmundur & Geirfinnur Einarsson

Episode Date: March 13, 2021

In January 1974, 18-year-old Guðmundur Einarsson enjoyed a night out with friends in the town of Hafnarfjordur, Iceland. At the end of the evening, he walked into a wild snowstorm and was never seen again. Ten months later, in November 1974, 32-year-old Geirfinnur Einarsson (no relation) also disappeared from the Icelandic fishing town of Keflavik. In a country with next to no homicide, foul play was considered immediately.  --- Narration – Anonymous Host Research and writing – Jessica Forsayeth Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-168-gudmundur-and-geirfinnur-einarsson

Thank you. your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. 18-year-old Gudmundur Einarsson took a final swig from his bottle of brandy. He looked once more around the packed nightclub for his friends. Located in the small fishing town of Habnafjallur, 17 kilometres south of Guthmundur's home in Blessegrof, Iceland, the nightclub was buzzing for a Saturday. Most of the town's younger population were present, dancing and drinking their night away. Guthmunda had been partying all day and when it was time to leave the club, his friends were nowhere to be seen. Assuming they had deserted him for the company of a group of girls, Guthmunda left the bar.

Inebriated, Guthmunda was escorted outside by an older man he had befriended earlier in the night. The weather changed considerably from the time Gutmunder entered the nightclub to his exit in the early morning of Sunday January 27 1974. The light drizzle of rain had given way to a furious snowstorm. Wind howled through the streets and the temperature dropped to below freezing as snow blanketed the footpaths and the roads turned icy. Iceland was short on nightlife, so Gudmundur had walked to get to the club. He was now facing the prospect of a three-hour return trip at 2am in hazardous conditions. Gutmunder's companion was wearing a bright yellow shirt that stood out amongst the white snowfall. The pair decided to try their luck at attracting a vehicle to hitchhike home.

Elimborg Rabsdottir and her friendridha Magnusdotter drove past the men. Elimborg recognised Gudmundur in his checkered jacket, green pants and brown shoes. She pulled over to offer him a lift. As she slowed down, Gudmundur's new friend threw himself onto the bonnet of their vehicle in a drunken state. Deterred by his behaviour, the two women changed their mind and refused to let them in. A few hours later, a driver passed Guthmunder walking on the main road out of Habnafjorda towards his family home in Blessegrof. He was alone and stumbling, almost falling in front of the car as it drove by. The man passed to Gudmundur and kept his concentration on the road ahead as it continued to snow heavily.

Following this sighting, Gudmundur Einarsson vanished. Initially assuming he was staying with friends, Guthmundur's father was unconcerned by his son's absence. When two days passed with no word from his son, his feelings changed and he reported Gudmundur missing. In 1974, the population of Iceland was just over 215,000 people. Homicide was nearly an unheard of event. Given the inclement weather on the night of Guthmundr's disappearance, combined with his clean police record, police were quick to rule out foul play

Rather, they assumed that Guthmundr had either gotten disorientated and lost, or had injured himself, perhaps fatally, on the journey home A barren expanse of lava fields, the landscape outside of Habnafjorda was covered with craters and crevices. Some reached a depth of 30 metres. Due to the snowstorm, 60 centimetres of fresh snow had fallen in the past few days, further concealing the fissures in the ground. Over 200 people searched for Gutmunder in the less than favourable conditions. Some waded waist-deep in snow, while a helicopter circled the lava fields from above. Isolated roads leading to his friends' houses were checked, as well as sheds and outhouses in case Guthmundur had sought shelter during the storm.

Those who had seen Guthmundur on the day of his disappearance could do little to shed light on his whereabouts. A week after Guthmundur disappeared, the snow began to melt. The search party returned to the lava fields to continue scouring the landscape. There was no sign of him. The man in the yellow shirt who left the nightclub with Gutmundur was never identified. Weeks and months passed by. It was not uncommon for people to go missing in the unforgiving terrain of the Icelandic lava fields or accidentally drown in rough seas off the country's rocky cliff faces. As time went on, Gudmundur's family came to terms with the fact

that he was yet another person who went missing amongst the unforgiving Icelandic wilderness. yet another person who went missing amongst the unforgiving Icelandic wilderness. With no leads to go on, detectives also reached this conclusion and the case was closed. In December 1973, a month before Gudmundur's disappearance, 18-year-old Erla Bolladolta attended a house party in Reykjavik. A free spirit enthralled by the recent hippie influences that had reached the shores of Iceland, Erla often visited the communes around the area to party, dance, smoke cannabis, and listen to rock music with like-minded teens. At the party, Erla was drinking a glass of cola when she began to feel strange. She realised her drink had been spiked

with the hallucinogenic drug LSD. Erla explored the house, looking for somewhere quiet to rest until the effects of the drug had worn off. In a darkened room, she tripped over a man lying on the floor. He introduced himself as 18-year-old Saevar Ciesielski. He was also riding out an LSD trip after his drink had been spiked. Together, the two lay in the darkness and spoke about their lives. Saevar was a child of an American-Polish father and an Icelandic mother. His foreign-sounding name, combined with his slight frame and short stature, made him a target for bullies during his school years. With dyslexia and ADHD, Saevar had trouble concentrating

at school. When he was 14, a psychiatrist recommended that he be sent to a home for delinquent boys. At the home, the boys were expected to do farm work, complete schooling, and return to their parents completely reformed. After a few years, Saevar went back to his family in Reykjavik. The home did little to transform Saevar. Although very intelligent, he spent his late teen years committing petty crimes such as theft and drug smuggling with his friend Christian. Years later, the boys' home Saevar attended was shut down amid allegations from past students about physical abuse and rape that had occurred behind closed doors. Erla was drawn to Saevar as he spoke of his history. She found his foreign look,

with shoulder-length brown hair, intense brown eyes and delicate features, mysterious and attractive. Erla also opened up about her life. She was the middle child of three. As a child, her family lived in New York where her father worked as a station manager for Iceland Air at Kennedy Airport. Her family returned home to Iceland when Erla was seven and she spent her childhood years at the local school. On school holidays, she was sent to various farms around Iceland to assist as a farmhand, a common tradition for Icelandic families at the time. After being touched inappropriately by a farmer, Erla returned home a changed girl. She became withdrawn from her family and rebelled against her parents. from her family and rebelled against her parents. Erla's parents divorced and as a teen, after a fight with her mother about curfew times, Erla went to live with her father. Erla empathised

with Saevar and found his love of the arts, particularly film, music and painting, fascinating and exciting. They spoke until morning. Erla later commented in the documentary Out of Thin Air, After that night, there was no other way to go forward but together. Erla's mother was less than impressed that her daughter was dating a former student from a home for delinquent boys and forbade him from entering her house. Despite warnings from her family that Saevar was a dangerous man, Erla quickly fell in love. Saevar and Erla were inseparable. Saevar and Erla were inseparable. Saevar often spent time at Erla and her father's house in Habnerfjorda, a small white and red-roofed apartment on Hammersbrod Road. At the time, Erla worked for the telegraph service as a clerk. Shortly after moving in with her father in early 1974, he had a stroke and was hospitalised, leaving Erla to live alone for the first time in her life.

Working long hours, Erla became profoundly depressed and lonely. Saevar would disappear for days at a time, refusing to explain his absences to her when he returned. She was certain he was seeing other women. Erla spent her time off work lying in bed staring out the window for the entirety of the day. Her weight plummeted and her long blonde hair accentuated her pale face and dark under-eye circles. When Saevar was around, he spoke constantly about wanting to pull off the perfect crime. He boasted about the joy he would get from the Icelandic authorities not being able to figure out who did it. to figure out who did it. Bank robberies, petty theft, smuggling drugs and introducing LSD into the water supply were some of the crimes he fantasised about.

Easily led by Saevar and wanting to impress him, Erla and Saevar hatched the perfect plan. Erla's work at the telegraph service gave her a thorough knowledge of the procedures in Iceland for transferring money over the phone. Saevar obtained a fake woman's ID with a false name and photograph. Erla and Saevar then picked apart the telephone receiver at her house, shoving a cloth into the mouthpiece. When Erla then phoned the National Phone Company's Telegraph Reception Centre with a fake name, her voice was muffled, giving the impression that the phone call was being placed from far away.

She told the operator that she was from a post office in the south-west of Iceland and was placing a money order on behalf of a customer there A few days later, a female friend of Saevar's went to collect the money with a fake ID, showing the name Erla had given the telegraph centre Together, Erla and Saeva made off with just under half a million krona, or approximately 5,000 Australian dollars in today's currency Pleased with themselves, they repeated the scam Erla dared to collect the money herself, applying heavy makeup so she resembled the photo ID she held With shaking hands, she gave the ID to the post office clerk. After a few moments, the clerk smiled and went to retrieve the money. Again, the pair had netted themselves just under half a million kroner. Unsure of what to do with the money, they stashed it in a cupboard in Erla's bedroom.

However, it wasn't long before the missing money was noticed and reported to authorities. Tuesday November 19 1974 marked 10 months after the disappearance of Gudmundur Einarsson. That day, 32-year-old Geirfinna Einarsson finished work and headed to his home in Keblavik, Iceland. A small fishing community, Keblavik lay approximately 40 kilometres west of where Guthmunder was last seen. Although both men shared the surname Einarsson, they were unrelated and had never met. Unlike Guthmunder, the 18-year-old apprentice carpenter who loved to party and whose friendly nature never left him short of friends, Geofina was much more reserved. Fourteen years his senior, Geofina was a quiet man who worked hard as a manual labourer

and enjoyed spending spare time with his young family. Returning home, Geofina and his family ate dinner together. Geofina, tired from a hard day's work, went to bed to read a book. His wife went to the library. She returned home at approximately 8.30 to find Geofinna in the company of his friend Thordr. Both men were watching television and drinking coffee. Both men were watching television and drinking coffee. Geirfinnur told Þorðar that he had some people to meet and asked if he could get a ride.

He wanted to go to a cafe near the Keblavík docks. The pair departed at around 10pm. Geirfinnur was quiet during the car ride, declining to elaborate on who he was seeing or the purpose of the meeting. As they drew nearer to Geirfinnur's destination, he remarked to Thorvar that he should be armed. His friend took the comment as a joke and dropped Geirfinnur at the doors of the near-deserted cafe. and dropped the geofina at the doors of the near-deserted café. Geofina scanned the few patrons seated inside. The people he was looking for weren't there. Walking home in the cold, crisp air, Geofina opened the front door and heard his son pick up the ringing telephone.

It was 10.15pm. The deep male voice on the line asked to speak to Geirfinnur and his son dutifully handed over the phone. Geirfinnur explained to the caller that he had already been to the cafe before sighing and replying that he had already been to the café, before sighing and replying that he would return once again. Geyerfinner's son asked if he could accompany his father, who abruptly denied the request. This time driving himself, Geyerfinner parked his red Ford Cortina 200 metres from the entrance.

He turned the engine off and left the keys in the ignition before making his way back to the cafe. His unlocked car was found the next day in the same position by detectives, after Geirfinner's wife had reported him missing. The investigation offered little more in the way of clues than Gutmunder's disappearance had 10 months prior. However, unlike Gutmunder, Keblavik police believed immediately that Geirfinnur had met with foul play due to his unexplained disappearance following a mysterious meeting. Police appealed for those who had arranged to meet with Gayafina to come forward, but their requests went unanswered. A tracking dog latched on to Gayafina's scent but stopped abruptly outside the cafe, indicating that he had travelled in a car to another location. Patrons in the cafe at the time of Gayafina's disappearance were questioned.

Several noted a man making a call from a phone booth inside the cafe at approximately 10.15pm. Normally, this would not have drawn anyone's attention. However, everyone in Keblavik knew one another, and this man was an out-of-towner. Investigators speculated that this was the man who had called to arrange the rendezvous with Geofinner. The man in the phone booth was described as 180 centimetres tall, slim, wearing a fake leather jacket and light-coloured pants. A bust was made out of

clay depicting the physical attributes of the unknown man. It was shown on national TV and soon Keblevik police were inundated with people reporting those who resembled a likeness to the image. Meanwhile, detectives worked on the theory that Geirfinna might not have been as reserved and innocent as people suspected. In 1974, beer greater than two and a quarter percent in alcoholic strength was banned throughout Iceland, and alcohol in general was very expensive. As a result, beer and spirits would often be smuggled in. The most common exchange would take place offshore. Watertight plastic containers were thrown from large ships into small boats who took them back

to the mainland. A person who knew Geirfinnur confessed that he was involved in smuggling alcohol into Iceland. This theory was further bolstered when someone rang the police to say that a man they knew resembled the clay bust. The man was local nightclub owner Magnus Leopoldsen. He had been seen speaking with Geirfinnur at his club, Kluberen, a few days prior to Geirfinnur's disappearance. Rumours circulated that Magnus also smuggled alcohol into Iceland. circulated that Magnus also smuggled alcohol into Iceland. Magnus Leopoldsen was questioned by police on January 25 1975.

However, he was free to go after no association could be made between him and the disappearance of Geirfinnur. Weeks went by. Desperate for a break in the case, a detective flew to Jordan with Geofina's wife to visit a psychic who claimed he could help solve the case. The week-long trip, funded by taxpayers, turned out to be a waste of time and money. Whilst police in Keblavik continued to investigate the disappearance of Geyerfinner, police in Reykjavik were busy tracing leads in an elaborate fraud involving money transfers to local post offices. Investigators questioned employees at the

Telegraph Centre and learned that one of their workers, Erla Bolledolter, was dating Saevar Ciesielski. He was well known to police for his past criminal history, which included smuggling cannabis from Denmark. Another time he had been arrested for stealing a large fish from the wharves and parading around town with it. Saevar's connection with the telegraph service through Erla was an immediate red flag, and investigators searched for their whereabouts. The couple had spent a brief time in Denmark before moving into a flat on the outskirts of Reykjavik. a flat on the outskirts of Reykjavik. The now 20-year-old Erla was thrilled when she found out she and Saeva were expecting a child. She told Saeva that her days of committing fraud were over

and from now on she wanted to live a life free from any crime. The most important thing to her now was being a mother. The most important thing to her now was being a mother. Erla and Saevar's daughter was born in September. Three months later, on December 12, Saevar was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement regarding the money transfer scam. He was taken to Siedemullili prison in Reykjavík for questioning. The next day, Erla was also arrested for questioning. In disbelief that they had been caught, she handed her 11-week-old daughter to her sister to care for. On the way to prison, she told the police that she had to be back soon because her baby needed her.

Iceland's Sædarmulli prison was a historic building located in Reykjavík's main shopping district. The exterior, built centuries ago from large, irregularly shaped rocks, housed the few prisoners in the Icelandic justice system. From the street, it could have been any other building, with no signage or fencing to indicate otherwise. Erla was taken through the front door and led down a corridor. The bright ceiling lights reflected off the linoleum floor. To either side of her, Erla could see the white bars of cell doors and inside the cells, the walls were painted a bright green. Each cell contained a concrete bed with a thin rubber mattress and a stool. Erla was led into an interrogation room for questioning

The room was tiny and cold and a small ceiling light shone onto the table where Erla was seated Three detectives sat opposite her In the corner sat a policeman at a typewriter, documenting Erla's every word Detectives told her that Saevar had come clean about the money fraud scam, but had implicated Erla as the sole perpetrator in the crime. Erla sat in silence. The detectives encouraged her to confess. Desperate to see her baby, Erla admitted her role in the crime. She signed a statement outlining her participation in the money fraud. Confident the interrogation was over, Erla straightened in preparation to leave. A detective then flashed a photograph in her face. It was of a young man with long

black hair and dark eyes. He asked if she had known him. Erla recognised the man in the photo. It was 18-year-old Gudmundur Einarsson. She had met Gudmundur at a party years ago and remembered him because he was friendly and handsome. The detectives latched onto this information and the questioning continued for hours. Eventually, Erla gave up a secret she had been holding onto since the night of Gudmundur's disappearance, nearly two years prior. Erla remembered the night of Gudmundur's disappearance. She was in the midst of a depressive episode. A friend invited her to a party and Erla went reluctantly. Afterwards, she returned home to her father's apartment. The violent snowstorm had blanketed the ground outside the building in thick white snow. She remembered the scenery vividly. Certain that Saevar was out seeing another woman, Erla lay in bed trying to get some sleep.

Later that night, she heard voices outside her window. They were whispering, but she could recognise two of them. One was Saevar, and the other was Saevar's friend, Christian Vithersen. Erla was intimidated by Christian. Saevar's friend, Christian Vithersen. Erla was intimidated by Christian. He was a petty criminal with a large, well-built frame and a reputation of being a tough guy. As Saevar only weighed 50 kilograms, the brutish Christian acted as his bodyguard. Erla didn't recognise the third voice, but was then startled when all the

men came inside. After hours of questioning, Erla was exhausted and struggled to collect her thoughts. Detectives ceased the interrogation, offering Erla a night's reprieve in a prison cell to resume questioning the following morning. From the book The Reykjavik Confessions, the detectives listened the next day as Erla recounted what happened next, after the men had made their way inside her house. The police report read She made her way to the storage room where she saw Saevar, Christian and a third man with something heavy between them, covered in a sheet Christian and Saevar tied each end of the sheet with a knot Erla hadn't seen what was inside, but she thought it was a body There was also a foul smell in the room and a strange wet patch on the floor. The three men picked up the body,

pushing past her in the doorway and knocking her over. Erla recalled, I couldn't move. I was cold, but at the same time, I felt like I was sweating. Later, Saiba took me by the arms and put me to bed. I said I was going to deny everything. Erla told the detectives that the day after she went to the garbage bin outside her house and found a soiled bedsheet inside. It appeared to have been dumped there after Saevar, Christian and the third man had removed the body from the apartment. Over the course of the next few weeks, detectives continued to question Erla over the disappearance of Gudmundur Einarsson.

She remained in Seedermulli Prison in solitary confinement. Saevar was also questioned and verified Erla's version of events. He told detectives that the third man Erla hadn't recognised was his friend, Trigvi Leifson. Saevar told detectives that Gutmunder, Christian, Trigvi and himself had gone to Erla's house. There had been a physical altercation which resulted in Gutmunder's death. Saevar called his friend Albert Skaftersen to pick them up to dispose of Gutmunde's body under the pretense of having cannabis for him. Albert was arrested and confirmed that he had arrived on the night in question in his father's yellow Toyota. He recalled Saevar had asked him to open the boot of the vehicle.

him to open the boot of the vehicle. Watching from the rearview mirror, he witnessed Saevar, Trigvi and Christian carry a large bag with the difficulty out of the front door. They pushed it into the boot, causing the car to rock a little. From there, they travelled to the lava fields outside of Habnerfjordur and dumped the large bag. Saevar confided to Albert on the drive back that it contained a body. He said that he and Christian had hacked the body into pieces to make it easier to dispose of. Christian, who was already serving a six-month sentence in another Icelandic prison for theft, was brought to Seyðamulli for questioning.

He also provided a statement confirming that he was at Erla's house on the night of Gudmundur's disappearance, and that a fight broke out between Tryggvi and Gudmundur, resulting in his death. Admitting that he was heavily intoxicated at the time, Christian could only recall fragments of the rest of the night. He did remember getting into Albert's yellow Toyota and going to the lava fields to dispose of the body. After Christian had been questioned at 1.42 am, he was driven to the lava fields in an attempt to jog his memory and show detectives where Guthmunder was buried. They returned to see the Muli prison at 3am, having failed to locate

Guthmunder's remains. Trigvi Leifson was an athletic man. He was kind and gentle, but also known to get into fights when drunk As the circumstances of Gudmundur Einarsson's death unravelled, he too was questioned in relation to his involvement He initially denied everything, but after weeks of solitary confinement, admitted that he had thought a lot about the case and was ready to talk to detectives. On January 9 1976, he admitted to his part in Gutmunder's death, although he didn't know the man personally, telling detectives, There was some disagreement, I'm sure, between Christian and the man with no name. It started by them cursing each other but ended in a fight. Then the man hit me and I think I hit him and he fell to the floor. Then I saw Saevar kick him in the head.

Saevar, Christian, Albert and Trygve were held in custody. Erla, after it was determined she played no part in the murder of Gudmundur, was free to leave to await a court date for the money fraud case. Ten days after being arrested, she went to live with her mother, ecstatic to be reunited with her daughter. Although Erla was free from the confines of a jail cell, she continued to be visited regularly by investigators who came around for coffee and cigarettes to discuss the Guthmunde case with her. Over the time of her incarceration, these men had become Erla's confidants. She felt they were more like friends than detectives. She became particularly close to Detective Sigjobjörn Wither, who was young, helpful and sympathetic to Erla and her ordeal.

One day, Detective Wither asked Erla a question out of the blue. One day, Detective Veda asked Erla a question out of the blue. If she or Saevar knew anything about the disappearance of Geirfinnur Einarsson. She replied, maybe. Erla confided that she had been receiving threatening calls at her mother's house, warning her that she had said too much to detectives. When asked who she thought was making the calls, Erla suspected it may have been her half-brother, professional basketball player Einar Bothersen. She also believed that some of his friends were involved, including a man who ran a nightclub named Kluberen in Reykjavik. The man was Magnus Leopoldsen.

Erla was not particularly close to her half-brother Eina. Their relationship had soured after Erla began dating Saevar, a man Einar despised for his involvement in petty crimes. Following this, detectives questioned Saevar about Geirfinnur. He refused to comment initially, but provided a statement to police on January 22 1976. He admitted he had seen Geirfinnur on the night of his disappearance He had gone to the Keblavik docks with Kristjan, Erla and some other men to smuggle alcohol into Iceland One of the other men met Geirfinnur outside a cafe and brought him along and brought him along. Saevar then said he went for a drive and when he returned to pick up the men, it was immediately apparent that their smuggling operation had gone awry. Geirfinnur had fallen off the boat and drowned in freezing waters.

Erla shared a similar story, however, she implicated Saevar further in Geirfinnur's death The police notes taken from Erla's interrogation read On the night of 19 November 1974, Erla and Saevar had been at Kluberen and they were not having much fun. They decided to leave and got into a blue Mercedes with two others, taking off without a planned destination. They headed out of Reykjavik. They drove past her home in Habnefjorda and on towards the airport at Keblavik. Saevar held onto her hand the whole time, even when she tried to release his grip. He spoke to the driver, she couldn't remember the exact conversation. They were talking about killing someone by taking him out to sea, pretending they were going to get something.

It was a last resort. They had tried to offer this man money, but he wouldn't listen. They would have to make him disappear. They were on a mission to murder. When they reached Kevlovik, they stopped by the foreshore. It was a spooky place at night, littered with battered trawlers propped up on blocks waiting to be repaired before being thrust back into the sea. When they got out of the car, Erla saw the face of the driver who had been speaking to Saevar. It was Magnus Leopoldsen from Klubberen. There were other men there. Geirfinnur had promised the men he could get hold of smuggled alcohol being dropped from a boat out at sea.

Erla recognised her half-brother Einar and Saevar's friend and familiar partner in crime, Christian Vithersen. Geirfinnur was talking to to Saiba and Magnus when a fight broke out. The others were preoccupied and didn't see her inching away, and then she ran. She wanted to get away and hide. She found an abandoned house which was either still being built or used for storage. She hid there in a corner. She couldn't remember for exactly how long. As she waited, she felt so bad that she threw up. On January 23, Christiane also confessed to being at Keblevik that night and seeing Saevar, Erla and her half-brother Einar there.

However, being under the influence of drugs for the latter part of 1974, Christiane was hazy about the details. Three days later, Eina and Magnus were arrested, as was Magnus' nightclub co-owner Sigur Björn Eriksson and Valdemar Olsson, the brother of one of Erla's friends The arrest of these four men sent shockwaves throughout Iceland They gained notoriety as the Kluberuran Four from the name of the nightclub owned by Magnus and Sigjubjörn. Unlike Saevar and his friends who were involved in petty crimes, these men were well-respected members of the community. Rumours circulated that these men were part of an organised crime syndicate and were being protected from those in positions of power, including the Minister for Justice Despite long stints in solitary confinement and hours of questioning, the Kluberan Four continued to protest their innocence

In an attempt to calm the public, police held a press conference. The Kluber and Four had been in custody for two months. The investigation team felt pressured to reassure the public that they were doing what they could to solve the case. With over a year that had passed since Geirfinnur's disappearance, detectives felt that it wouldn't be long before the truth came out. Basketball player Einar Bothlason was sitting in his prison cell at Seethermoorley, where he had been incarcerated for the last three months. where he had been incarcerated for the last three months. He maintained his innocence, certain that his half-sister, Erla, had implicated him because of his dislike of Saevar.

As extra punishment by the prison guards, Einar had been moved into the smallest cell available. It was barely high enough to contain his tall frame His limbs hung over the hard rubber mattress that lined the concrete bed Einar had a revelation The night of Geirfinnur's disappearance suddenly came to him He had been watching television at home with his family. There was a documentary about Scottish men participating in the Highland Games. He informed the investigators about his memories of the program,

who in turn took him to the television station to review the tapes. The video was paused and Einer explained what happened next. He also remembered earlier in the night that he had been fundraising for his basketball team. Other team members confirmed his alibi, as did a babysitter hired to look after Eina's children that night. Upon investigating the other alibis, Magnus Leopoldsen also had someone to vouch for his whereabouts. An employee at Kluberen's cloakroom kept a detailed log on the comings and goings of various staff members. On the night of Geirfinna's disappearance, she documented that Magnus had been at the club from early evening until midnight, meaning he couldn't have been at the Keblavik docks at the time specified by Erla and Saevar. The Kluberan Four were innocent.

were innocent. After four months in custody, Magnus Leopoldsen, Einar Bothersen, Sigurdbjörn Eriksson and Valdemar Olsen were released from Seedermuhle prison. Aside from the statements made by Erla, Saevar and Kristjan, there was no evidence to connect them to the murder of Geirfinnur Einarsson. there was no evidence to connect them to the murder of Geir Finner-Einerson. The men were placed under police surveillance and warned not to speak to the media about the case. Embarrassed, Detective zeroed in on Erla, certain she had implicated the Kluberan IV as a ruse to take the heat off herself. Now under more pressure than ever to solve the cases and to recover from the public shame of arresting and holding four prominent Icelandic citizens, it was decided that outside help would be enlisted

to solve the Gudmundur and Geirfinna disappearances. In May 1976, the Minister of Justice hired prominent detective Karl Schutz from Germany to assist. He assembled a team and in brusque German told the public through a translator that he would solve the crimes. Schutz poured over the case and re-interviewed Saevar, Christian and Trygve, who were still in custody. Albert, accused of driving

Gutmunder's body for burial in the yellow Toyota, had been released. On May 3, Erla Bothlerdotter was arrested for perjury in implicating the Kluberin Four. She was morose and detectives were concerned for her mental health.

Erla sat with Detective Karl Schutz. Through the help of an interpreter, he interrogated her as to why she had named them as suspects. Eventually, Erla opened up. The confession she gave to detectives explained her dejected state. Erla confessed to shooting Geirfinner herself at the Keblavik docks with a rifle. From the book The Reykjavik Confessions, the police notes read, In the murky light, Saevar handed her something heavy. It was a rifle, although she couldn't say exactly what it looked like. He showed her how to hold it, but it wasn't there as a scare tactic. They intended to use it. Gayafina was brought over and she had been so

close to him she could see his face, etched with fear and horror as he realised what was about to happen to him. They had come up with a solution for this annoying, unreasonable man. Erla closed her eyes as she pulled the trigger. The rifle jolted in her hands as the bullet flew from the barrel into Geirfinnur's body. Saevar immediately took the rifle from her as they dealt with the man dying on the ground in front of them, his blood staining the snow. It was only after the fact that Erla panicked and in the confusion she was able to sneak away and hide in a deserted house close by, where she spent the night. by where she spent the night. When she returned home the next day, Saevar was angry. He wanted to know where she had been all night. He never mentioned Gaea Finna again and refused to talk about that night. They would banish it from their minds, a secret they would keep for themselves. They would pretend it never happened.

This confession contradicted Sivers, who now said that he had killed Geofina by hitting him on the head with a wooden plank. Christian's account recalled he had drowned in the ocean. It was determined that Christian had been the man who had called Gayafina to the cafe. Detectives were irritated at the perpetrator's ever-changing confessions. In desperation, they organised for Erla, Saevar and Christian to be interviewed together to find out what had actually happened. After hours of questioning, a final confession was agreed upon and signed. Saevar and Christian were responsible for Gayafina's death, while Erla was an innocent bystander.

Police agreed she was likely trying to protect the others by taking responsibility for the crime. A search commenced for Geirfinnur's body. Erla showed detectives where she believed Saevar and Christian buried him. Rathola, also known as the Red Hills, on the outskirts of Reykjavik, was a vast, rocky landscape where mounds of red dirt rose up from the barren ground. It was in this area that Saevar and Christian confessed to burying Geirfinnur after setting his body alight and then dumping it in a shallow grave. The area was excavated thoroughly, but Geirfinnur wasn't found. When asked how his body was transported to such an isolated location, all three named 32-year-old Gutjohn Skarp-Jethenson.

He drove them 50 kilometres from the Keblavik docks to the Red Hills. Gutjohn, a former schoolteacher and friend of Saevar's, was placed under arrest. Given that he was a well-regarded schoolteacher and older than his counterparts, his confession was given the most credibility Guthion had no alibi as he was not able to remember what he had done the night of Geirfinnur's disappearance Initially denying any involvement, he confessed to Karl Schutz two weeks after being taken into custody. As well as being the driver of the car that took Geirfinnur's body to the Red Hills, Guthion also admitted to beating Geirfinnur to death with Saevar and Christian. From the documentary Out of Thin Air, Guthion said

The three of us fought with Geofina, that resulted in his death I don't remember the body being put into the car, but on the way back to Reykjavik, I remember I was sad that I was an accomplice to murder. On January 23 1977, Karl Schutz held a press conference to announce that all suspects had been detained for the murders of Gutmunder and Geirfinner-Einerson. He explained that even though they had not located either body, the confessions were 95% of the evidence and were plausible. Schutz outlined the attempts that Erler, Saevar, Trigvi, Christian and Guthion had made to complicate the investigation to shift the focus of guilt off themselves.

He concluded the conference by saying, As we criminal investigators like to say, this case is beyond reasonable doubt. It's safe to assume it's an open and shut case. He opined that Saevar was the ringleader with the street smarts behind the operation, Gutjohn was the brains and Christian was the brawn. He painted Trigvi and Albert as simply stoners who were easily led by the other three, as was Erla, who would do anything for Saevar's approval. for Saevar's approval.

The Icelandic Prime Minister, Oliver Johannesson, praised Detective Karl Schütze's work. He told the public, The nightmare is over. The murder trial began on October 3 1977. Under the Icelandic system, an inquisitorial system, the case had already been heard by district judges. They had returned a guilty verdict. From there, the case went to the Supreme Court, where instead of a jury, five judges were left to decide the defendant's fate. After 15 and a half hours of testimony from the state prosecutor, Saevar Ciesielski took the stand. Dressed in a velvet

suit with flared pants, abiator glasses, and his long hair loose, the thin and gaunt Saevar professed his innocence. He pleaded for his statements and those of his co-accused to be retracted. Christian sat forward in the front row, eyes darting around the courtroom. Erla, wearing a pinafore with her hair pinned to the side, looked childlike and contemplative, her head resting on her hand. The trial lasted five days. Just over ten weeks later, the group learned their fate. All were found guilty. For his role in transporting the body of Guthmunder in his father's yellow Toyota, Albert Skaftersen was sentenced to 15 months prison. Although found innocent of any

involvement in the murders of Guthmunder and Geirfinner, Erla Botlerdotter was sentenced to three years for embezzlement in the money scam and perjury for implicating the Kluberan IV in a crime they didn't commit. Gudjon Skarpjæðinsson was sentenced to 12 years for his part in the death of Geirfinnur and transporting the body for burial. Tryggvi Leifsson was sentenced to 16 years for killing Gudmundur and Saevar Tjerskjölski and Kristjan Vidursson were both sentenced to life in prison for killing Gudmundur and Geirfinnur This made Saevar and Kristjan the first people in Iceland to be convicted of a double murder in more than 100 years

Iceland to be convicted of a double murder in more than 100 years. None of the suspects were present in court when the verdicts were read. They learned of their outcome as they read the newspaper in their cells the following morning or being told by prison guards. One by one they were shipped off to various prisons around Iceland to serve their sentences, leaving the confines of Seathamully Prison behind. Icelanders rejoiced that those responsible for the deaths of two of their own were off the streets. Problem was, they were all innocent. Erla Bolledotter was nervous as she was escorted into Seethamuli Prison for the first time on December 13 1975 after being arrested for the money fraud scam. After confessing to the fraud, Erla stood up to leave. An investigator then waved a photo in front of her. It was of Gudmundur Einarsson. She met him at a party years ago.

The detective asked her where she had been the night he disappeared. Erla remembered that night of January 27 1974. She had been at a party with a friend and desperate to leave. Later, she lay in bed. The snowstorm roared on outside as wild winds lashed the building, making the walls creak. Erla told the interviewing detective about a nightmare she had that night. It began with voices outside of her window. In hushed tones, they discussed whether Erla was awake or not. Erla was terrified. Erla was awake or not. Erla was terrified. She got up to check who it was and saw Saevar,

Christian, and someone she didn't know. It was then that she woke up. The detectives interjected, reminding her that Saevar was a petty thief and played on her worry that he was unfaithful to her. After telling the investigators about her nightmare over and over, the lead detective leant forward. Erla later spoke on the documentary out of thin air. According to Erla, he said, Something terrible happened that night in that apartment. You witnessed it, and you cannot recall it because of the trauma it caused you. So what we're going to do now is get you back to your cell so you can try and remember as much as you can, and then we'll talk about it some more." They advised Erla they would resume questioning the next morning Erla lay awake in her cell, trying to remember what had happened

She was saddened by Saevar's betrayal implicating her solely in the money scam and she thought of the times he had been unfaithful to her. Over the night, Erla came to think that perhaps Saevar had been involved in Gudmundur's disappearance and death. She searched her memory as to what had happened. Her head was full of images, and she came to question whether her nightmare was real. She thought harder. Now, Erla remembered being at the door to the storage room and seeing the men with a bag It looked like it was in the shape of a body She told detectives this the following morning They encouraged her, telling her how brave she was

When she failed to remember something, the investigators presented her with theories. Could Gutmunder have been in a fight in the cottage? Could Saevar have taken his body somewhere? The more she thought about it, the more Erla could see a picture in her mind. She told detectives she had found a sheet in the bin the next day, but was too embarrassed to admit that she had thrown it out after soiling herself during the night Instead, Erla became evasive and told them that she didn't know how her sheet had come to be discarded in the trash Detectives mistook her evasiveness for guilt and interrogated her for hours about it. She admitted it may have contained Gudmundur's body. When she signed the confession and was let out of prison,

Erla was relieved. She thought it was all over. thought it was all over. Days later, detectives phoned Erla to say that Saevar had confessed to killing Gudmundur with Christian and Trygve. He admitted to cutting Gudmundur's body into pieces, placing it into a linen bag and then driving it away with Albert to dispose of it. then driving it away with Albert to dispose of it. Erla was horrified, but reassured. Now that Saevar had confessed, her memories must have been correct. Erla couldn't believe that she didn't recall the dismemberment of Gudmundur's body, but Saevar and Christian had confirmed she was present, so she knew she must have witnessed it.

Erla concluded that she couldn't trust her own memories. Meanwhile, Saevar, Christian and Trygve were in solitary confinement at Seedhamuli Prison. Weeks of hour-long interrogations, many without their lawyers present, had worn them down. They were drugged four times a day with various sedatives and left to sit alone, reflecting on what had happened. When Siver heard that Erla had implicated him in the murder of Guthmunder, he lay on his thin mattress racking his brain as to what had happened. lay on his thin mattress wracking his brain as to what had happened. When he really concentrated, he thought that maybe Albert had driven the car to dispose of Guthmunder's body and perhaps Gutheon had driven the car after the murder of Geirfinnur. After constant interrogating, Saevar gave the men up, desperate for the questioning to end.

The detectives placed a typed confession in front of Saevar, Christian, Trigvi, Albert and Guthion. All they had to do was sign it and the interrogations and solitary confinement would be over. Drugged and confused, they all signed on the dotted line. In an early prison diary entry, Guthion wrote, The detective wants me to get used to the thought of being a murderer. If they think I am going to confess to Cyber and Erla's stories, then they are wrong. After a few weeks of solitary confinement and in a vulnerable state, Guthion wrote the following entry. You get tired and you don't know if you are dreaming or remembering things. The same

questions over and over. I get completely confused. It came like clips of a movie into your mind. In the end, you feel like you have been there, like that this has really happened. Erla, Albert, Guthion, Trigvi, Christian and Saevar were all eventually released from prison after serving their required sentences. On August 9 1981, in what she later called the happiest day of her life, Erla was met on release by her and Saevar's five-year-old daughter holding a bouquet of flowers. Upon his release, Guthionón moved to Denmark to study theology When he returned to Iceland, he married and became a priest His notoriety had him sometimes snubbed by members of the Icelandic community, but over time he became accepted

Christian found work in manual labour, but returned to prison for five years after physically assaulting his wife Albert found work as a carpenter, married and had children, completing charity work in his spare time Trigvy also found work as a decorator Of all six, Saevar struggled the most with life after prison. Released in 1984, Saevar married and had two sons. He struggled to find work, and everywhere he went people whispered and pointed to him as he walked past. He could go nowhere without being heckled. Saevar also suffered from nightmares reliving his time in prison. In 1993, Saevar and his family moved to Colorado in the USA for a

fresh start. But Saevar could not stop thinking about clearing his name and the need to be found innocent by his Icelandic community consumed him. They returned to Iceland a year later. Prior to being incarcerated, Saevar did not drink alcohol, but on release he used it as a coping mechanism. It wasn't long before Saevar became an alcoholic. It wasn't long before Saevar became an alcoholic. He often met with Erla and they would talk about what had gone wrong that led them to make the accusations and confessions. However, Saevar was resentful of Erla for implicating him in the murders and there was a rift in their relationship that could not be repaired. Saevar hired a lawyer who pored over the case resources looking for evidence that Saevar was innocent. He was shocked by the police notes in the case

and how heavily they had relied on confessions from the six when there were no bodies or evidence to link them to the crimes. On February 21 1997, Saevar appealed to the Supreme Court to have the case reopened. The judges ruled that there was not enough evidence to reopen the case, however they conceded that Saevar was badly mistreated in prison. He appealed another two times to have his name cleared over the following years, with no success. The process was taking its toll heavily on Saevar, who drank to excess, became bankrupt, separated from his wife and ended up on the streets. He had a following of people who believed in his innocence and many of the Icelandic community had changed their minds about him. Saevar Csácsalski died in July 2011 at the age of 56.

His funeral was packed with all walks of life to pay their respects, from high-ranking politicians to Saevar's family to his homeless friends. Following his death, Erla Bolladotta returned to the public eye. Still largely outcast by Icelandic society who thought of her as a conniving liar, Erla had moved to Hawaii with her daughter for a few years to escape. earlier, Erla had moved to Hawaii with her daughter for a few years to escape. The difference between life on a tropical island and the one she knew in Iceland was too great and she returned home. Following a particularly distressing incident where a member of the public came up and spat in her face, Erla pleaded for the case to be reopened. But with a lack of new evidence,

there was little that could be done. In May 2009, Christine Trygvedota held the hand of her dying father. Suffering from esophageal cancer, Trygve Leifsson had led a full life after his prison sentence. He had become a decorator, been married and had three children. Christine was close to her gentle and fun-loving dad who always had time for her. She remembered being called the daughter of a murderer by one of her school teachers as a small child, but looking at her father now, she knew it wasn't the truth. As she sat next to his hospital bed, she had something to confess to him. Christine told her father that when she was a teenager she had found some of his diaries

concealed in a box in the basement. Trygve knew of the diaries. He had filled books and books documenting his arrest and interrogation in Seathamooley Prison. A priest he had befriended in the prison smuggled them out and kept them until Trigvi was free. Trigvi thought he had burned all of the diaries long ago. Christine explained to him that she had taken a few and hidden them under her mattress, only daring to read them when she knew she was alone. He smiled, happy that she had read a part of his life he had kept so private from everyone. She asked her father what he wanted her to do with the diaries He told her to keep them, adding that she would know what to do with them when the time was right

A few days later, Trygve Leifsson passed away Two years later, in 2011, Christine showed the diaries to journalist Helga Arnadotter who was researching the case. Heart racing, she watched on as Helga leafed through the diaries. When she had finished, Helga told Christine she had something special. With Christine's permission, she contacted Geasley Gutjensen, a forensic psychologist and leading expert in false confessions Two days later, Helga and Christine knocked on the door of Geasley's home in South London Geasley studied the diaries cover to cover. The entries documented Trigvy's imprisonment in solitary confinement, his daily druggings with sedatives, and how he questioned his sanity. A common theme that arose was Trigvy's belief that if he confessed, his time in solitary confinement would be over.

Trigvy thought he would have the chance to withdraw his confession, explain the truth at the trial, and he would be found a free man After studying the case further, Geasley could not believe the hours of interrogation the six accused had gone through without their lawyers present present. He formed the opinion that five of the accused had what he termed memory distrust syndrome, in which an individual does not trust their own memory and so comes to rely upon outside sources for information rather than using their own ability to recall facts. In the documentary Out of Thin Air, Geasley Gutjensen said, This is the only case I know of where so many individuals have had their memories distorted to this extent. They were just trying to appease the police. They were trying to be

cooperative because they knew if they were not cooperative, they would be given more solitary confinement. Christian Withersen looked forward to the times he would be sent to scour the desolate landscape to try and remember where the bodies of Gutmunder and Geirfinner Einarsson had been buried. The brief moment of freedom, despite grim, was a welcomed change to his time in prison. One time he was taken out of his cell was on January 23 1977. In a photo recovered from the police files, Christian can be seen in the lava fields wearing a melancholy expression with his left arm wrapped around a policeman's neck in a chokehold. expression, with his left arm wrapped around a policeman's neck in a chokehold. The policeman was pretending to be Geirfinner, with Christian re-enacting how he had incapacitated him.

Forensic psychologist Geisli Gutjensen noted the danger of re-enactments in an individual with memory distrust syndrome. Such acts might reinforce to the individual that the event actually occurred in that way. Armed with this information, journalist Helga Arnedotter compiled a special news report that ran on national television. Later that week, the Ministry of Justice announced a review of the case to look into the methods

used in the investigation and how the confessions were obtained. It was quickly established that critical errors had been made in the course of the investigation, even though many of the police files relevant to the case were missing. Guards at Seatham-Uli Prison came forward with horror stories regarding what the six accused had been subjected to. One of the accused was hated by prison guards and officers in particular. Nicknamed the Rat by those in charge of his welfare, it was Saiba Cheselski. Often considered the ringleader of the group that murdered Guthmunder and Geirfinner, Saiba was subjected to brutal methods in order to obtain a confession. Along with being drugged with sedatives Mogadon, Diazepam and Chlorpromazine,

Saiba was subjected to sleep deprivation. An overhead light buzzed in his prison cell 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. While the rest of the cells had a period of lights out to mimic night, Cyber's remained on. He once tried to cover it with a woolen hat, but it was removed instantly. He once tried to cover it with a woolen hat, but it was removed instantly. When Saevar did drift off to sleep, guards would bang on his cell with steel chairs to rouse him. If he refused to answer questions, he was strangled by his shirt collar until he passed out. One day in July 1976, Saevar, who had a profound fear of water, was taken to the bathrooms of the prison. As water ran from one of the taps, filling a sink, Saevar had his head held underwater by guards who laughed to one another that they were drowning the rat.

Completely broken and in a vulnerable state, Siver confessed to the murders. Detectives took Siver to the sites where he claimed to have buried the bodies. His inability to find them was seen as him deliberately obstructing the investigation rather than him not knowing. While other inmates were allowed books, pens, tobacco and newspapers,

Cyber was denied. The guards reasoned that he should instead sit and think about his actions. He was also denied visits from family. The other five accused also suffered from isolation and a lack of human interaction, which had a profound effect on their mental wellbeing. Christian wrote in his diary in prison, There was nothing but waiting, waiting for the next interrogation, wondering what I would say. interrogation, wondering what I would say. In the cell I could do nothing but think. I grew into the walls. I could not feel my body. I was just a head.

Two times while awaiting trial, Christian tried to take his own life. Trigvi recounted a similar feeling in his diary, stating, I've got so many drugs, so much medication that I can't remember my name. I wake up and I can't remember if my mother passed away or if I was dreaming it. The thoughts of reuniting with her baby were the only thing getting Erla through her isolation. She told the documentary, out of thin air, I wasn't allowed to go outside. I was in complete isolation. Very soon, you shrink down into this helpless baby and you're in this abstract world. I thought to myself, did I really even have a baby? Or is that my imagination also?

Cause I swear that I feel like I do. But no pictures coming. You can't trust your own mind. your own mind. In the book The Reykjavik Confessions, Erla detailed one night where she was raped by a policeman in her cell. The policeman put his hand over her mouth to stop her calling out while he lay on top of her on her prison bed. When he finished and prepared to leave, he told her that he was taking great risks by being a friend to her and she should be grateful By the time Erla found the courage to speak up about the event, the statute of limitations had expired and it was too late for her to press charges

Erla was also subjected to what was called a memory injection by police detectives under the instruction of Detective Carl Schutz to try and jog her memory of what had happened in the events of Geirfinner's death Under the effects of the drug, Erla admitted that she had made up what had happened from what she had read in newspapers and twisted the facts to create a story that was entirely false Erla admitted that she had made up what had happened from what she had read in newspapers and twisted the facts to create a story that was entirely false. The detectives believed that she had been receiving inside information from Saevar, who was telling her what to say, and refused to believe her. believe her. On March 23 2013, the committee into the case of what has been termed the Reykjavik confessions presented their findings. The key finding was that the confessions, in all likelihood, were fabricated. The committee recommended that the state prosecutor reopen the case.

Five and a half years later, Erla Bolledotter and the families of Saevar Trzeszelski and Trygve Leifsson sat amongst the crowded courtroom in Reykjavik. Collectively, they held their breath as the verdict was read. 44 years after the disappearances of Gutmunder and Geirfinn-Erinnesen, Saebertrischelski, Christian Bitherson, Trigby Leifsson, Gutjonskap-Jadensen and Albert Skaftersen were found not guilty in the murders and disposal of the two men. In an unusual turn of events, both the prosecution and the defence demanded they be acquitted. It was a bittersweet moment for the families

of Saevar and Trygve, knowing that they weren't alive to see justice done. Erla Bolledotter did not have her name cleared in relation to the perjury of the Kluberan IV. Some argued that she should be acquitted given that the whole case was built on falsified confessions. She held her head high and returned to her job as a language teacher, helping those who recently migrated to Iceland to learn the language. 46 years after their disappearances, the case of Gudmundur and Geirfinnur Einarsson is as well known today amongst Icelanders as it was then. Despite the passage of time, new leads occasionally trickle into police.

Despite the passage of time, new leads occasionally trickle into police. In 2015, Stefan Almason was questioned by police after testimony from Stefan's ex-girlfriend shed new light on Gutmunde's disappearance. Stefan was already known in the case. In the early days of the investigation he was questioned and told police he thought that Saiba and Christian were responsible for Guthmunder's disappearance. For the sake of clarity, we will refer to Stefan's ex-girlfriend as Helga. Helga came forward to say that she was a passenger in Stefan's vehicle the night Gutmunder went missing. According to Helga, the car struck Gutmunder while he was walking down the road.

She, along with Stefan and his friend Thorður Æðursson, helped Gutmunder into the car. He thanked them for picking him up. Helga was then dropped off home. As she left the vehicle, Gutmunder was visibly suffering from the collision. Blood was coming out of his ear and nose. That was the last time Helga saw him. Both Stefan and Thortha denied these allegations wholeheartedly. Both Stefan and Thorður denied these allegations wholeheartedly. With no forensic evidence to prove the accusations, the investigation was dropped. According to the Iceland Review, in 2016 a man contacted the police to say he had been

holding onto information since Geirfinnur's disappearance. For the sake of clarity, we will refer to this witness as Jón. Jón claimed that the day after Geirfinnur went missing, he and his girlfriend were at Vestmaneja. The small island was 190 kilometres east of Keblavik, where Gayabina's car was found. The couple witnessed three men dressed in civilian clothing arrive on a small boat and make their way to a fish processing plant on the island. The man in the middle of the three seemed weak and appeared to be losing consciousness. As Jan and his partner walked past, the man in the middle allegedly said, Remember me. Shortly after, the men boarded another boat. Jan watched as the three men

went out to sea. He saw the boat return to the shore again, but only two men came back. returned to the shore again, but only two men came back. Two days later, his girlfriend received an anonymous call stating that she and her boyfriend would be killed if they spoke of what they saw. As those come forward offering theories as to what did happen to Gudmundur and Geirfinnur, so do those working to bolster the innocence of those accused of their murders. At the time of Gudmundur's disappearance, the phone at Erla's apartment was disconnected due to an unpaid phone bill. This was confirmed by the Icelandic Telephone Company

and meant that Saevar couldn't have used it to phone Albert to pick up Gudmundur's body. Furthermore, the yellow Toyota that Albert Skaftason said belonged to his father that was used to dump the body of Gudmundur was not owned by his father at the time of Gudmundur's disappearance. Albert said he watched from his rearview mirror as Saevar, Christian and Trygve put the body in the boot of the car. At the time, Albert's father drove a tiny Volkswagen Beetle. The boot was at the front of the car. From the book Out of Thin Air, in 2016 journalist Jan Danielsson looked into Saevar's alibi at the time of Geirfinnur's disappearance

Saevar had given this information to the judges at the trial, however it was not investigated further Saevar alleged he had gone to his mother's house to watch television. Saevar remembered the show. It was a news report about a company in France guilty of tampering with red wine. Jan Danielsen looked through the archives for the television guide for that night. There was a news report from France titled Winegate, which finished at 11pm, when Saevar was allegedly with Geovina at the Keblavik docks. Prior to his arrest, Gutjonskap Hjelmtsson kept newspaper clippings and notes about the Gayafina case in a small book in his study.

When it was found in a search by police, he explained that after being questioned in May 1976 as an acquaintance of Saevar's, he decided to take notes and keep up to date with the case. Detective Karl Schütz thought it was so he could construct the perfect alibi if he were ever arrested A theory that fell through as Guthion could give no alibi for the night in question In his first diary entry in prison dated November 18 1976, Guthion wrote I know nothing about this case. Sometimes I feel guilty, that I'm guilty of something, but I can't remember what happened.

This is taking away all of my strength. I must be ill. Two days later he wrote, New humiliation, disgrace and shame. "'I, who lived in the belief in the two years previously "'that I knew nothing about the matter, "'and now I have been involved in it. "'Am I insane, or have I been there?

"'I say yes to that. "'Much of what I have done in recent years was insanity." Erla continues to try and explain what led to her confessing to a crime she didn't commit. In the book The Reykjavik Confessions, she says, The detectives would explain that we needed to get the confession done or I was risking that I would lose my child and they didn't want to see that happen. Somewhere, I always knew it didn't happen. So I really needed to believe that it had happened, and they kept throwing me something to help me believe it." On January 29 2020, the State Treasury dispensed the total of 815 million Icelandic krona, the equivalent of nearly 8.2 million Australian dollars, to Christian, Albert, Gutjohn and

the families of Saevar and Tryggvi as compensation for their wrongful conviction and imprisonment. In the course of the investigation, Saevar Ciesielski spent 615 days in solitary confinement. During that time, he was interrogated 180 times for a total of 340 hours until he confessed to the crimes to end his solitary confinement. Erla Bolledotter spent 241 days in solitary confinement and was interrogated 105 times until she confessed to her involvement. She is still campaigning to have her perjury conviction overturned. Trigvi Leifsson spent the most time in solitary confinement at a total of 655 days, the longest recorded period of solitary confinement endured by someone outside of Guantanamo Bay.

His diaries, later taken by his daughter Christine, were titled This is a diary that an innocent man is keeping in here regarding a big case that he is wrongly accused for, but the truth will always come out, even if it is late. An entry dated April 25 1977 read An entry dated April 25 1977 read, So now, I have been here continuously for 16 months and 11 days in custody, including 14 months in isolation, totally alone. I shall hold fast.

I don't have to be afraid, as I'm innocent, and justice always prevails in the end. Thank you.