The skeletal remains of 42-year-old Dánjal Petur Hansen, who disappeared from the tiny Faroese village of Saltangará without a trace in 2011, have been found 22 metres under the sea.
Hansen was last seen on 5 November 2011 outside his home in a village located on Østerø, the Faroes' second largest island.
A recreational diver found the skeleton, which has now been positively identified as Hansen, 22 metres deep and about 150 metres off the shore of Østerø on Sunday 31 August. The diver reported the grisly find to the police.
A true Nordic crime story
Police originally handled the disappearance of Hansen – who was known locally as Pidda – as a routine missing person's case, until the evidence began pointing at Milan Kolovrat, a 33-year-old Croatian man who had been dating Pidda's former wife.
He was successfully convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Faroese media reported that Pidda continued to share a home with his former wife and that Kolovat wanted to put an end to that arrangement.
Linen belonging to Hansen were found in Kolovrat's home, including a duvet and pillow.
Lethal frying pan hidden in duvet
A frying pan, which the prosecution in court said was the murder weapon, was found inside the duvet cover and it had a piece missing.
The missing piece of the pan was found in Hansen's bedroom, and bloody shoes belonging to Kolovrat were found in Hansen's former wife's Skoda, which Kolovrat had been driving.
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Kolovrat was found guilty of Hansen's murder, even though his body had yet to be found.
Kolovrat is serving his time in Croatia and can never return to the islands.
