TRONDHEIM — 1976 · Murder
The Fritz Moen Miscarriage of Justice
In September 1976 and October 1977, two women aged around 20 were found murdered in Trondheim. Police identified Fritz Moen, who was deaf, had a severe speech impediment and was partly paralysed, as a suspect. Not consistently given an interpreter during interrogations, his contradictory statements were treated as confessions; he was convicted of the two murders in 1978 and 1981 and sentenced to a total of 21 years. He was released in 1996 after 18½ years. He was cleared of the first murder in 2004; after his death in 2005 it emerged that another man had confessed to both killings on his deathbed, and in 2006 the second conviction was quashed posthumously. A 2007 official inquiry called it Norway's greatest judicial scandal.
- Date
- 1976
- Place
- Trøndelag, Norway, Trondheim, NO
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 63.4305, 10.3951 ↗
Timeline of Events
- September 1976The first young woman was found murdered in Trondheim.
- October 1977A second young woman was killed; Fritz Moen was arrested.
- 1978 and 1981Moen was convicted of the two murders.
- 1996He was released after 18½ years.
- 2004–2006He was cleared of one murder, then posthumously of the second.
- 25 June 2007An official commission severely criticised police, prosecutors and courts.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Fritz Moen en.wikipedia.org ↗
- European Registry of Exonerations — Fritz Moen registryofexonerations.eu ↗
- Wikipedia
- Registry of Exonerations (EU)
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
Related Cases
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Categories
🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.