Mother of Norwegian woman murdered in Laos: Finally I can sleep peacefully again 

Although Norwegian Ellen Høiness will never get her daughter back after she was found murdered in the jungle in Laos almost two years ago, it gives her peace to know that her daughter’s murderer has finally been found and arrested.

Nerid Høiness was 30 years old when her mother first reported her missing in December 2019. At that time, she was in Thailand. Later, the family got in touch with Nerid and the concern for her calmed down. But in January 2020, she was found dead in Laos.

Her boyfriend Japanese Ogu Hiroyuk was suspected of the murder and the search for him has been ongoing until he was finally found in Laos and arrested last month. 

To VG, Ellen Høiness says, “I thought Finally!. It has been a two-year battle.”

“It was the Christmas present of the century. I will not get Nerid back, but now I expect that there will be a trial and that he will be held responsible for what he has done,” Ellen Høiness says and adds:

“Now I can get rid of some of my nightmares at night.”

Jørgen Haave from the Norwegian police in Tønsberg says that Ellen Høiness was notified one hour after the message about the arrest came from Laos via Interpol.

“It felt very good to be able to deliver such a message just before Christmas. This is a case we have been working on for a long time. I know that means a lot to Ellen,” Jørgen Haave says to VG.

According to Laos police, Nerid Høiness and Ogu Hiroyuki crossed the border between Thailand and Laos on 8 January 2020. Two days later, they checked into a guest house in Vang Vieng.

For the next few days, they stayed together at the guest house ‘Souhhakhone View’ but after 14 January, no one saw the Norwegian woman alive again. A surveillance camera is said to have captured the 38-year-old Japanese man on 19 January, carrying a seemingly lifeless person who is believed to be Nerid Høiness.

The next day, Ogu Hiroyuki checked out of the guest house and on 22 January a farmer found Nerid dead in the jungle.

Nerid’s uncle Per Reidar Høiness says the news is a great relief. “It is unreal and has not sunk in completely yet. We need to know what happened. I am very excited to hear his explanation in court,” he says. 

The police in Laos are responsible for the investigation and prosecution of the murder and will handle the further legal process in accordance with Laos legislation. 

About Gregers Møller

Editor-in-Chief • ScandAsia Publishing Co., Ltd. • Bangkok, Thailand

View all posts by Gregers Møller

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