A 40-year-old man was killed yesterday evening in front of his family, in a gruesome assault in the municipality of Mosfellsbær, just outside of Reykjavík, RÚV reports. Authorities believe the murder relates to a feud in the capital’s criminal underworld.
The safest country in the world…
Iceland always ranks highly on the list of the most peaceful countries in the world. Last year, The Legatum Institute ranked it as the fourth safest country to live in.
Murder cases are a rarity and according to Statistic Iceland, only 53 murders were committed between 1980 and 2013. Since 2000, an average of 1,9 cases have been recorded annually.
However, this happens to be the second bone-chilling murder case registered in Iceland since the beginning of 2017. With the harrowing death of Birna Brjánsdóttir, who disappeared from the Reykjavík city centre on January 14 grabbing international headlines.
According to eye witnesses accounts, the assault was extremely brutal. The victim was grabbed by the throat and severely beaten with an iron bar just outside his house—where he had been spending time with his wife and new-born baby. The attackers then ran over his feet with a large pick-up truck before speeding away.
…and it’s dark underworld.
The murder has been connected with Reykjavík’s underworld, which is usually not mentioned in relation to Iceland. According to RÚV, the police arrested six suspects, five men and one woman, following the incident. One of which is Jón Trausti Lúthersson, a high ranking member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club—a criminal organisation with branches across the globe, including in Iceland, Norway and the United States.
Brothers Marcin Wieslaw and Rafal Marek Nabakowski have also been remanded in custody and are currently under investigation. Last year, the two were charged with attempted manslaughter in relation to a shooting in the Breiðholt neighbourhood. This December they were found guilty and sentenced to two-and-a-half years imprisonment. They had not begun serving out their sentence when the murder took place.
The investigation is currently ongoing and the six remain in custody.
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