Halloween Special: The Disappearance Eiríkur Bjarnason

Scandinavian Crimes (w/ Devante & Delila)

Year(s) of Incident: October 2007
Location: East Fjords of Iceland
Halloween Special: Cold Case Disappearance Eiríkur Bjarnason
Victim(s):  1
Method: Disappearance

Video Version: https://youtu.be/8X_1BEpUM-Y

In the remote East Fjords of Iceland, the nights in October are long, dark, and unforgiving. In 2007, climate researcher Eiríkur Bjarnason vanished without a trace. No one knows what happened that day accident, attempted murder, or something far stranger. His disappearance remains one of Iceland’s most haunting cases.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
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License code: HTYAZSIPFJWXMEOD

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/kevin-macleod/anxiety
License code: KOIDJQENGMVFLRUB

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): 
https://uppbeat.io/t/adi-goldstein/blank-light 
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Transcript

Welcome to "Scandinavian Crimes." My name is Deante. Say hello to my lovely co-host,(...) Delila.

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Hi.

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And on this podcast, we talk about famous Scandinavian criminals who made their mark throughout Scandinavian history. So welcome to another episode of the podcast. But today, today's a little special because as you know, this is the Halloween special. So just to clarify for everyone, I'm so dead.

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Just to clarify for everyone, this is gonna be, obviously this is out on Halloween, but this will count for Monday's episode. So we just decided to double release in the same week, so we can be here for Halloween.(...) And then this will count for next week, Monday, and then a week, well, an episode after that will be the regular scheduled programming.(...) And also, so before we cover this particular case, I'm just letting you guys know that this episode, the last episode, the episode before that, we do have video format and videos for basically the discussion sessions that you can kind of go to the YouTube channel and watch if you want something a little bit more visual,

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you know, between the both of us, if you wanna kinda feel a little closer to the podcast. So that is available. So yeah, it'll be linked into the description of each and every episode for those specific videos to have videos, episodes that have videos,(...) so that way you can go check it out if you want to and all that good stuff, all that jazz. All right, so now that we got that out of the way, I hope you already are having a spooky Halloween,

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because this case takes place all the way in the remote East Fjords of Iceland.

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The nights in October are long, dark and unforgiving.

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In 2007, climate researcher, Erichur Bjornasen, hope I said that right,(...) vanished without a trace.(...) No one knows what happened that day.(...) They don't know if there was an accident, attempted murder or something far more stranger.

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His disappearance remains one of Iceland's most haunting cases.

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So in the spirit of Halloween,

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if you just happen to be home, make sure you keep your candy real close.

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Make sure you lock your doors, close your windows,

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because this is the story of Erichur Bjornasen disappearance.

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In late October, 2007, the East Fjords of Iceland were slipping into long, dark nights.

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Cetas Fjordur, a small coastal village nestled between steep cliffs and fjord waters, was quiet.

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This was where 36 year old Erichur Bjornasen, a climate and wildlife researcher, had come to conduct his field work.(...) Erichur worked with the Icelandic Institute of National History, focusing on the impacts of climate change on coastal and marine wildlife.(...) His research tracked how rising sea temperatures and shifting fish populations were altering the behavior of seals, seabirds, and arctic foxes.

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On the morning of October 28th, Erichur left his cabin just as the first pale light of dawn struck the fjord.

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He intended to survey a seal colony that had been unusually active, congregating near the rocky shore and behaving aggressively.

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Seabirds circled overhead in chaotic patterns, while arctic foxes were observed scavenging closer to human paths than usual, likely responding to the dwindling availability of prey.

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Erichur carefully documented everything alongside notes about faint lights dancing over the fjord, likely auroras. Yet their flickering quality unsettled him.(...) Around mid-morning, he radioed the institute with a preliminary observation.

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That was the last anyone had heard of him. Erichur was due to attend an emergency meeting with his colleagues the following day to discuss his latest findings, but he never appeared. This was entirely out of character. He was known for his punctuality and unwavering commitment to his work. Concerned, a colleague went to check on him, assuming he might be unwell or lost track of time. When the colleague arrived at Erichur's cabin, the boat was still tied to the dock, gently rocking with the tide.(...) Inside the cabin showed signs of a disturbance. A chair overturned, a few books scattered across the floor,(...) but Erichur himself was nowhere to be found.(...) Alarmed, his colleague immediately called the police.

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When the police arrived, the scene offered more questions than answers. His small boat remained moored at the dock,(...) as though awaiting for his return.

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Inside the cabin, nothing was outright destroyed, but the subtle signs of disorder unsettled investigators. A chair knocked sideways, several books on the floor, his research notebook lying open and sodden with rain.

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From the cabin, footprints led towards the cliffs before vanishing abruptly at the jagged outcrop.

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The final footprint appeared heavier, pressed deeper into the earth as if he had stumbled or been dragged.

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Blood was found near the cliffside, later confirmed to be his.

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The possibility of an accident was immediately considered. The cliffs in late October were treacherous, wet stones slick with sea spray, fog rolling in at dusk, winds howling down the fjord. A misstep could easily mean death,

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but the bloodstains combined with the disorder in the cabin suggested there might've been more to the disappearance.

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Villagers soon came forward with testimony. If you recall seeing Ira Gure days earlier in what appeared to be a heated argument with another man near the dock, the man was identified as a local fisherman known for his short temper and foddiness of drink and was quickly brought in for questioning.

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Forensic teams later collected hair strands from Ira Gure's coat in the cabin that matched the fisherman's DNA, giving the case its first concrete lead.(...) Pressed under interrogation, the fisherman admitted to the encounter. He confessed that he had been drunk at the time and could not recall the exact details of the argument. He believed it had been about a boat or fishing rights, trivial matters,(...) but his frustration with Ira Gure went deeper than that.(...) The fisherman explained that Ira Gure had always kept himself apart. In a village where customs of friendliness and mutual reliance were a way of life, his distance was seen as arrogance. What might've been a minor disagreement between two neighbors instead became heated, fueled by drink and the simmering perception that Ira Gure thought himself above the community. The fisherman swore he bore Ira Gure no lasting ill will and denied any involvement in his disappearance.

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The discovery of his DNA on the coat seemed incriminating. However, the fisherman's alibi held. He claimed he had been drinking heavily at a small bar near the harbor the night of the disappearance.(...) Witnesses and limited security footage from the area confirmed his presence there for several hours supporting his alibi.(...) After days of questioning, he was released from custody. Though suspicion lingered, the police had no grounds to hold him.

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With that lead closed, investigators were forced back into uncertainty. To get further clarity, authorities attempted to construct the psychological profile of Ira Gure.

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He was a meticulous but solitary researcher, often vanishing into the East Fjords for weeks with only his notebooks and equipment. Colleagues described him as dedicated yet withdrawn.(...) Locals said he kept entirely to himself. His extreme isolation and the bleak nature of his work tracking environmental decline and erratic animal behavior seemed to weigh on him.(...) His journals, though scientifically precise, contained dark reflections of despair and hopelessness.

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Raised in an orphanage without close ties, Iraka's solitude left him vulnerable.

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The disarray in his cabin suggested turmoil,(...) whether it be from a struggle or his own state of mind was unclear.

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Particularly unsettling were his repeated mentions of strange undefined lights.

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Investigators debated whether these were natural phenomena or stress-induced hallucinations.

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Experts suggested that Iraka's institutional upbringing and long isolation in the field likely led to social withdrawal symptoms of CPTSD, major depression, and wild schizoid traits.(...) In the end, the profile depicted a brilliant but burdened man, likely suffering from depression worsened by isolation and professional pressure.

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Suicide could not be ruled out, yet the evidence remained ambiguous.

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Despite extensive searches of the cliff, sea caves and fjord waters, nobody was ever found or any remains, nor did any new evidence emerge.(...) With no clear answers, police eventually ruled it a probable suicide. Yet within the investigation team themselves, doubt remained.

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Iraka's isolation and journal entries suggested deep anxiety and despair, but no evidence of suicidal intent.

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There were also too many loose ends, the blood on the cliff side, the signs of a struggle in the cabin, the unexplained lights all leaving the sense that something remained unsolved.

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Iraka's disappearance soon became a haunting story woven into the lore of the East Fjords.(...) Iraka spoke of faint colorless lights flickering above the water, seals gathering unnaturally close to the shore, and an eerie stillness along the cliffs where Iraka was last seen.(...) Some believed he had fallen to the sea, others whispered of a murderer still at large. Among locals, old folklore resurfaced,(...) tales of nature angered by human intrusion or omens of environmental collapse. His cryptic notes blurred the line between science and superstition, leaving the truth forever out of reach. To this day, the disappearance of Iraka Bjornason remains one of Iceland's most unsettling mysteries in history.

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(Eerie Music)

Okay, so there obviously is a lot of theories of what could have happened to Iraka. Iraka?(...) Iraka. I'm so sorry, I don't know how to say Icelandic names. I'm gonna be better.

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So obviously you guys know that in Iceland, it's very common for disappearances to happen rather than murder.

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And because Iceland is most of the safest country

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in the world, not a lot of crime happened there.

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So yeah, what do you mean freely?

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I thought you knew.

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We all saw like 30 cases because nothing happens.

I know, I'm just saying like really?

Oh, okay, I thought you meant like, you were like, what?(...) Revelation, sorry. Okay.

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And it wouldn't be weird if it could have been an accident and he accidentally fell on a cliff and then just disappeared because, you know,

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unfortunate circumstances, water, you know, prey, you know, anything could happen.

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However,

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I do think that the fishermen guy was released a little bit too early.

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For my cup of tea, I feel like they could have

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continue on with that trail, even though he was seen in the bar, like hours before or something.

Yeah, I mean, they had nothing to hold them on. Why would they hold them longer if they had nothing to hold them on? That's technically depending on your local laws. It's against the law. But the thing is the blood belonged to Irikson.(...) Irikson, so.

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But I still feel like. I mean, the fisherman was not really around, so they had no reason to hold them. So I mean, they did what they could.

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You feel me?

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No, I don't feel you. I feel like timeline wise, it's not matching.

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All right, so what do you think the timeline is then?

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So he disappeared somewhere between the day before, when he was talking to his colleagues through the radio thing.

(...) Right.

And then he was not seen for maybe 24 hours before the other colleague was like, "Hey, let's just check on this person."

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Maybe it was a little bit less than 24 hours, but I just feel like there's a lot of time to hide a body or throw a body away in the sea or whatever.

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All right, so here's, I'm gonna give you some food for thought then, okay?

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You have to also consider(...) that they saw them during the day, right? He goes a separate ways. Then likely, because they did say they talked to witnesses,

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they probably did see that, okay,

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Irikson was around, and also the fisherman was around doing other things. And now because it gets dark sooner,(...) he was in the bar for several hours. They didn't say couple, they said several hours.

I still feel like there's enough time for

him to-(...) But also, I'm gonna think to my next point, I'm gonna think to my next point, I got you right now. So you have to consider as well that the area where they found the trail of blood and everything is hard to get to. You can't get to that location drunk, carrying another body.

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It takes way more work and effort.

Maybe he was just using the bar scene and being drunk as a like-

You can't use it as an alibi if you're actually drinking.

That's the crazy part. I'm just saying, maybe he is not a drunk, you know what, why am I even trying this? Okay, nevermind, you're right.

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I realized, I was like-

Maybe he wasn't drinking at all. Maybe he was drinking water the entire time.

No, I'm just saying, maybe he's very tolerant with alcohol because he's drinking so much. And then I realized that no, he's known to be a short-tempered drunk in the village. So I was just like, I'm not even trying. I just felt like it's a bit fishy that conveniently be found-

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I know,

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but either way,

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other than that, I feel like it's a lot of like strange phenomenons and stuff. And I understand how this case ended up being very supernatural in a sense,

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with the whole flickering of the light constantly mentioned. And they just assumed it was a vicar's hallucination, tendencies or whatever.

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But even other people and hikers have noticed the strange phenomenons and maybe they're faking, maybe they're lying, or maybe it's actually based on truth. Because it seemed like a lot of people noticed that as well.

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So it's a little bit like interestingly creepy in a way.

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I remember seeing this show, right?

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I forgot the name of the show, but I remember this show.

I feel like you didn't remember the names of anything.

I don't remember the names of anything. I just, sometimes I see stuff, watch stuff, I don't remember the names.

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There was this show, right? And they have this thing where it's like, I don't know if it was called to the night or called to the wind, where it's like this phenomena that some people have in Antarctica, for example,(...) that at night, sometimes they feel driven to just walk into these,(...) it can be like an open, because sometimes some of those oceans are frozen or lakes that are frozen or whatever the case may be. But sometimes at night, people will just be driven to just walk(...) in the middle of the night,(...) in the middle of nowhere to just walk.(...) And they keep walking and then they go missing because they're just walking.

Skinwalkers?

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Not skinwalkers, but I'm just saying it's like a phenomenon, basically.

Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait. Like that movie with the runners, who's like the one that came out recently. The one we watched. What was that?(...) It was like, with the flying alien ship gun thing and the kids that ran into the same- You took my weapons?

No, no, no, no, no, no.

Yeah, there we go.

I was just like, "Hey, what was the name of that movie?" No, no, no, I'm talking about like legitimately,(...) there was like this thing, a phenomenon, I don't know what it's called, but where people can literally feel this calling sensation like as if something is compelling them to walk for miles and miles and miles into the cold night. And then often they go missing and never return. Now,(...) obviously the counter to that-

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Right, but the counter to that is that the situation(...) happens in an article, which, you know, there's certain times of the year where it's like just pitch black, much like, did I say in "Artshkaan Almen" as Alaska?

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I think you said ar-

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I don't know how to say it.

Yeah, so like, you know, I'll say in those Arctic areas, I'll just generalize it a little bit. But basically you'll feel this call and then you'll just go missing. Now the counter to that, what I was about to say was, some people feel like that's just a side effect of the environment where you don't have access to the sun for long periods of time. Some people can be very sensitive to not having the sun, when especially those time of years, when it gets dark really early, or they experience night for like a month or two, then they might experience this, which can cause them to have like those,(...) how they describe it in this story, this schizophrenic or schizo kind of reaction,(...) because they're not getting access to sunlight and that can mess up your body chemistry.

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Isn't it the same thing, like, when you put somebody in a white room for like, is it the same kind of phenomenal,

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where they can have a tendency of like going crazy and hallucination and isolation and all that combined?

(...) Yeah, like basically if you put them in a room where it's like really bright white, and then it never gets dark, it's constantly bright.

Then you don't have any sensations at all, like you don't get anything from that, but

like-- Yeah, like you just can't tell anything from the other, there's no, even your sleep can kind of, you know, deregulate itself. So yeah, there's like a whole thing about even how those situations can mess with your mental health. So even though like they call it a supernatural phenomenon, because I'm pretty sure back in the day, people didn't understand it. It's entirely possible that it could be a situation because it was getting dark for so long that maybe, and he was a researcher, so he probably wasn't natively from the area.(...) He probably was not accustomed to it, and it's a possibility he could have just

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did something to himself in response. They did say that he did like leave for weeks sometimes, or like he was out for days and just did his research because he was so consumed by it.

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But like there's nothing else really that indicates anything.

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But do you think it's, do you lean more towards a suicide then, or do you feel like it could be a combination?

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I think it could, I can't say if it's supernatural, but I feel like it's more of one of those things. It's weird because it can happen, but it's also kind of unexplainable in a way.(...) Because when someone just goes missing, they never find a body, it's just like, well, where do they go?

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So then it just leaves that question in your head, like, dang, they really went missing, and we don't know if they're alive, and we never found a body, and they probably never will. So that's the crazy part.

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That is kind of scary too, in a way. Yeah, I would want to stay-- To never be found ever.

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Yeah, I wouldn't want to stay in Alaska, those arctic areas or anything like that.

(...) It is refreshing though. In short bursts. I think it's a very beautiful imagery-wise, I've never been there, but it looks very beautiful.

I feel like in short bursts, it's nice, but that lack of sunlight during certain times of year is a doozy. I can barely tolerate when it gets dark at five over here.

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Honestly, that's like half the world, it's like that.

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I know, that's horrible.

If you don't live in the middle of the equator, then I don't know how to say it in English, I'm sorry.

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If you don't live close to that, then...

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You gotta deal, you have to like, get the hell out of here.

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It's like, sorry, I'm just being weird.

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But yeah, there's nothing else I want to add to this, if there's anything you want to add to this.

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I'm good, you know,(...) cops are useless, but then again, they're useless in this situation. No, I don't think they were useless. They're useless in this situation, they're useless in this situation because there's nothing they can do.

Because you feel like it's supernatural.

I didn't mean it like that.

Do you believe in that? Do you really believe in that? That it was like...

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This case, was this case supernatural?

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No, I feel like, do you believe in the supernatural like that?

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I mean, yeah, I do think there are some things that can't be explained yet, you know, that are beyond maybe our comprehension just yet that can happen, like, you know, some things that just don't make sense. But if you ever come across a case where it's just like, I fully believe something supernatural happened here, you'll definitely get that passionate episode where I'm just like,(...) you know.

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But in this case, I don't know, it's tough to say, something weird definitely happened, but I think it's just a matter of environment for me personally.

(Eerie Music)

That's a very interesting for you to say.

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Because all of this is completely made up. Everything is fictional. This is not a real case. I created everything by myself.

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The only place that, the only thing that's real is the place, Iceland. That's pretty much the only thing. The rest is fictional.(...) Trick or treat, happy Halloween.

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Thank you for listening to this fake story. I'm sorry.

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She's not sorry. Devonta made me.

But bye, no, I didn't. Either way, we're leaving bye.

We're leaving.

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But happy Halloween and ha ha, tricked you.

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It may seem like it's April Fool's, but happy Halloween.

Oh yeah, that's right.

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I hope you enjoyed.

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I just, I say you make it seem like it's April Fool's or something like that.

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I mean close enough.

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It's Halloween. I hope you enjoyed the lovely, lovely story. Wanted to give you something that was not real and something that maybe not necessarily made you feel uncomfortable, but hopefully fit that Halloween vibe.

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But either way, enjoy your candy,(...) enjoy your night. And above all, stay safe, because you never know what's lurking in the dark.

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We'll see you next episode.