How can a person disappear while walking on a road in a well-populated area? It’s a question many have asked after Raymond Johanssen disappeared in Søgne a year and a half ago. The family is still without answers. – I have searched several miles in the forest all the way here and to Volleberg where Raymond lives, says half-brother Glenn Johnsen. He points to the riverbank where the Søgneeelva flows, and up into the forest that runs alongside the road. The two have grown up as part of a group of nine siblings, with both full and half siblings. This is the last picture that half-brother Glen has of his brother Raymond. Photo: PRIVAT The mystery at Tofteland All witness observations and electronic traces come to an abrupt end on the evening of 12 October 2021. – It is difficult to be back here, he says. He is on Toftelandsveien where the last observation of Raymond was made. The mobile signals show that Raymond was on Toftelandsbroa around nine o’clock, but no one has seen him. It was this stretch that Raymond used to walk on his way home. – I spoke to Raymond two days before he disappeared, then he “liked” a photo of the children and me on Facebook and everything was fine. – Did Raymond have any enemies? – I don’t think he had any enemies, says Glenn Johnsen. The dog suddenly appeared It was when Raymond’s dog, Pluto, appeared alone that the 40-year-old was reported missing and a search was launched. According to the police, it looked like the dog had been outside for a long time. – I’ve had dogs for years and I don’t think the big dog has stayed alone out in the forest for nine days, without coming to the house and asking for food, says Glenn. Raymond is said to have been at Tangvall shopping before he disappeared. Everything is gone. – He had a carrier bag with him and a mobile phone. Nobody has found either the phone or the plastic bag anywhere, says Glenn. Nearly 1,500 people are missing According to Kripos, 1,449 people have now been reported missing in Norway. 114 people in Agder alone. – What Kripos can say is that, statistically speaking, this is not a high number, but behind every case are relatives who are affected. One missed is one too many. – Isn’t this a lot of people? – Yes, but then we have to remember that a case can be a year old and a case can be forty years old, says Heidi Frydenberg, section leader for DNA and Missing Persons in Kripos. A large proportion of those who are missing are men between the ages of 20 and 50 who are missing at sea. – Southern Norway’s coastal border is challenging, many of the missing are sailors, says Frydenlund. It is the police districts that decide how much resources are to be used on each missing persons case. – It is important to distinguish between those who are wanted as missing and those who are presumed dead. The majority is settled within the same day, or a short time, says Frydenberg. Checked the Danish boat and the borders The disappearance is still under investigation by the Agder police district. – The difficult thing is that the traces of Raymond disappear very suddenly, says section leader for investigations at Kristiansand police station, Harald Hollerud. – Are the police using enough resources to search? – We have done over 70 witness interviews and there are a lot of them. We have had several search operations and used crews that have abseiled down slopes, used drone pilots, dogs and volunteer crews, he says. Hollerud explains that the police have checked cameras in various places, as well as the Danish boat and several border crossings. Without results. This is Harald Hollerud. He leads the investigation into the disappearance of Raymond. The police have not given up the search. Photo: Elisabeth Sandve / news A local unrest and chatter In the days after 12 October, Glenn and his partner Marianne Krohg Homlong searched for several hours a day in the area where Raymond used to go. – We have searched several miles in the forest here. In all rock caves and thickets. We have gone up and down along the Søgnee River and searched the terrain, Glenn explains and points up into the forest. – Raymond liked being out in nature and living life. Now he spends the nights checking tips and calling sources. – It goes beyond the family to have an investigator at home. There are still many tips on social media, he says. Tofteland farm is close to the bridge, and owner Helge Pettersen finds the disappearance unpleasant. – We have talked a lot about what happened and we are surprised that the police cannot find out what happened. Search teams from the Red Cross, the dog patrol and divers looked for Johanssen in the days after 12 October – There are many people who go hunting here for deer, and if there was a person in the forest he would have been found, says Pettersen. The married couple Glenn and Marianne have spent countless hours on Toftelandsbroa and in the surrounding forests, searching for Glenn Johnsen’s half-brother Raymond. Photo: Elisabeth Sandve / news
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Raymond Johanssen disappeared without a trace in Søgne
