Laurence Dollimore
THE death of young Norwegian expat Anne Mathea Morken remains shrouded in mystery as investigators work around the clock to discover what really happeend to the 21-year-old.
The body of the skier and budding personal trainer was found dumped by a zebra crossing in Torremolinos at around 1.30am on September 13, with signs of asphyxiation.
The Specialised Violent Crime Unit (UDEV) of the Guardia Civil is now trying to establish who moved the body, after initial autopsy results found Anne had been dead for at least 10 hours prior.
Officers are meticulously scanning CCTV footage taken in and around the area where the body was found.
And while a violent death is not ruled out, investigators are increasingly moving towards the idea that Anne’s death was caused by an adverse reaction to a drug.
If true, police will need to discover in what context such a drug was taken, and whether it was ingested knowingly or forcibly.
The cause of death has yet to be determined as the coroner is still awaiting the results of the toxicology report.
Such tests are carried out at the Institute of Toxicology in Seville, which currently has a huge backlog, meaning it could be up to a month until the results come back.
Anne’s body was found in a side street off Benyamina avenue, which runs down to the beach.
The Norwegian serious crime unit, Kripos, has been assisting in the investigation, having flown in from Oslo over the last few days.
The Norwegian embassy in Madrid and the Seamen’s Church, in Fuengirola, has been assisting the family.
Meanwhile, the death has triggered an outpouring of mourning in her home village.
Director of the local school, Havard Gangsas, told VG: “We feel very much for the family. This is a deeply tragic event, and we are all very sad.”
The local youth centre is opening for a special memorial session from 6pm this evening.
According to local reports, Anne was active in the Ringebu-Fåvang Ski Club in her youth and participated, among other things, in the NM relay in 2018.
She studied sports at Gausdal upper secondary school, before working part time at a local delicatessen.
She fell in love with Spain when spending a semester here in 2022, while training to be a personal trainer at Norwegian private school Active Education, in nearby Fuengirola.
Manager Ola Furseth described the news as ‘very sad’ adding his thoughts ‘go out to the next of kin’.
He added he hopes the Spanish police, with assistance from Kripos, can help clarify the cause of the death.
