A Greenlandic fisherman, Thomas Møller Olsen, was found guilty of her murder and received a 19-year prison sentence for that crime in addition to narcotics smuggling.
[1][2][3] Surveillance video showed her walking along Laugavegur, the main shopping street, and eating a falafel pita;[4] until a red Kia Rio stopped in front of Number 31.
[1][2] After her friend and co-worker at Hagkaup called her parents[3] and it became apparent she had not returned home or contacted them, first her mother and then the police appealed for help finding her; the search over the next week was the largest manhunt in Iceland, 800 people volunteering.
[3] Thomas Møller Olsen, the Polar Nanoq crew member who had rented the car and who was then 25, was charged with the murder of Birna Brjánsdóttir on 30 March[3] and in September was found guilty in the Reykjanes District Court.
[3][13] After appeal,[13][14] Møller Olsen's conviction was affirmed by the High Court in November 2018,[15][16] and his sentence of 19 years in prison for the murder and for drug smuggling, in addition to an assessment of 29 million krónur ($243,356) in costs and compensation, went into force.
[3] After the discovery of her body, Polar Nanoq donated 1.6 million krónur ($14,976) to those who had searched for her,[6] and in March 2018, a wreath from the crew was laid on her grave to commemorate the first anniversary of her death.