Murder of Faiza Ashraf

Background

Faiza Ashraf was a 26-year-old Pakistani-Norwegian woman living in Haslum, Bærum, near Oslo, Norway. She worked at a clothing boutique in downtown Oslo (Source 1).

The Kidnapping

In the early morning of 3 February 2010, Ashraf was waiting at a bus stop in Haslum at approximately 06:40 when 25-year-old Håvard Nyfløt pulled up in his car, grabbed her, and forced her into the trunk. The abduction was witnessed by at least one passing motorist. Ashraf managed to call police from her mobile phone to alert them, though she could not give her exact location. During the drive, Nyfløt told her he was being paid 100,000 Norwegian kroner by a third party to carry out the kidnapping and promised not to harm her. Ashraf relayed this information to police along with a description of her abductor and named Shamrez Khan, whom she believed had ordered the kidnapping. According to Ashraf, Khan had harassed and tormented her for roughly five years over his wish to marry her (Source 1).

Nyfløt drove to a forested area in Solli, Asker, about 25 minutes from Oslo. On arrival, he found Ashraf unresponsive in the trunk. He dragged her body to a previously dug shallow grave near a popular ski trail, then attempted to destroy evidence in his car before fleeing to Sweden with his girlfriend (Source 1).

Investigation

Police announced the same day that a woman in her 20s from Asker was missing and believed kidnapped, closing off traffic through Asker for checks. That afternoon, 28-year-old taxi driver Shamrez Khan was arrested in Oslo after Ashraf named him during her call to police; Khan had a documented history of harassing and stalking her. He initially denied involvement. Large-scale searches of the Vestmarka woodlands failed to locate Ashraf, and police issued a yellow notice in case she had been taken abroad (Source 1).

On 10 February 2010, police arrested 25-year-old Håvard Nyfløt on suspicion of carrying out the kidnapping. Under interrogation, he revealed Ashraf was dead and disclosed the location of her body. Nyfløt said he had kidnapped Ashraf at Khan's behest to pay off gambling debts, and that she had accidentally suffocated in the trunk. Khan denied ordering her murder, stating he had intended only to have her kidnapped and tortured, motivated by her refusal to marry him. The two men had met while Nyfløt worked at a petrol station Khan frequented (Source 1).

Trial and Appeal

On 14 May 2011, Nyfløt was convicted of second-degree murder and Khan of kidnapping; neither was initially convicted of premeditated murder. They received sentences of 8 and 17 years respectively. Attorney General Tor-Aksel Busch pursued an appeal, and in a second trial both men were convicted of premeditated murder and kidnapping, with sentences increased to 19 years for Khan and 18 years for Nyfløt. Both were also ordered to pay 200,000 kroner in compensation to Ashraf's parents. On 28 March 2012, the Supreme Court of Norway declined to review the cases, ending the appeal process (Source 1).