Mystery of Isdal Woman: Facts and Info

An unidentified woman was found dead on 29 November 1970 at Isdalen Valley, in Bergen, Norway. The woman has not been identified to this day and is known as the Isdal Woman. There still remains a great deal of public interest in the case and the events that led to her death.

Below are some facts about the case of Isdal Woman:

• The body was found in a part of Isdalen which was commonly known as ‘Death Valley’. A burned out passport was found next to the body. The official police report concluded that the cause of death was suicide but this was highly controversial. The autopsy showed that the woman had taken a number of sleeping pills and had suffered blunt force trauma to the neck.
• The woman was naked and her body was partially charred and hidden among some rocks. It was found by a university professor and his two daughters at approximately 13:15.
• Large amounts of sleeping pills and bottles of petrol were found at the scene. A full scale murder investigation was launched immediately.
• Composite sketches were produced by the police based on witness descriptions and analysis of the body. The media published these sketches and they were also distributed in several countries by INTERPOL.
• Police found that the woman had used nine different false identities to travel around Norway and Europe.
• Witnesses had seen the woman using various wigs and several cryptic diary entries were found in her trunk.
• The autopsy showed that the woman had undergone dental work that was likely to have been carried out in Latin America.
• The woman was heard speaking several languages by witnesses: Dutch, English, French and German.
• The woman had stayed at a number of hotels in Bergen and once she had checked in, she repeatedly asked to swap rooms.
• Given the details of the case many people believe that she may have been a spy.
• A local fisherman at the time stated, that he saw an unknown foreigner woman observing military installations in Stavanger.
• It’s believed her movements corresponded to the secret trials of Norwegian Penguin Missile.
• At most of the hotels where she stayed she ordered porridge with milk.
• An Italian photographer had dinner with the woman at Hotel Alexandra in Loen. The woman had told him that she was originally from a small town to the north of Johannesburg in South Africa and that she only had six months to see Norway’s most beautiful places. No further information about the woman’s identity was gained from this line of inquiry.
• The last sighting of the woman was when she checked out of the Hotel Marin. She paid in cash before asking to be picked up by a taxi. She was described as being a good looking woman aged 30-40 years and approximately 164cm tall.
• The woman spent a lot of time in her room and was described as being on guard by hotel staff. She was seen to smoke a Norwegian brand of cigarettes.
• A witness overheard the woman telling someone in German ‘I am coming soon’.
• A local man reported seeing a woman of foreign appearance who was not dressed for hiking being followed by two men in black coats on 24 November. She looked as if she was about to say something to him but appeared intimidated by the men.

This case is now over 40 years old and while it cannot be said that it will definitely not be solved as time passes it becomes more and more unlikely. Whether the case is solved or not it will always remain known as one of Norway’s greatest mysteries.