Casepin
Back to cases

Case file

Murder of Anne Orderud Paust, Marie Orderud, and Kristian Orderud

SOLVED1999Orderud Estate, Sørum, Akershus, Norway3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On the night of 22 May 1999, three members of the Orderud family were shot and killed at their home on the Orderud estate in Sørum, Akershus, Norway. The victims were 47-year-old Anne Orderud Paust, personal secretary to Norway's Defence Minister, and her elderly parents, 84-year-old Marie Orderud (b. 1915) and 81-year-old Kristian Orderud (b. 1918).

The killings followed roughly a year of threats against Anne and her family. In July 1998, she discovered an explosive device under her car outside the Ministry of Defence. The following month, her husband reported an apparent attempt to ignite a propane gas tank that had been doused in gasoline and left near the entrance to their Oslo apartment building; officials said the building could have been destroyed had it ignited. No one was charged over either incident. Anne's husband, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official, died of cancer in May 1999, shortly before the murders. About a week before the killings, an anonymous caller warned authorities that Anne and her parents would be murdered, but the caller was never identified.

According to the investigation, an assailant hid in nearby woods before entering the house at night through a second-floor porch, breaking a window to get inside. Marie Orderud was shot and killed after apparently confronting the intruder, followed by Anne Orderud Paust, who had also entered the room; Kristian Orderud, who investigators said was physically unable to resist, was then shot at close range in the couple's bedroom. The bodies were discovered by a family member the following morning.

Investigators concluded that the assailant knew the family and had monitored the estate, noting that the timing coincided with a visit by Anne that few people knew about in advance, and that nothing in the house had been taken. In June 1999, four people were charged with premeditated murder or complicity in premeditated murder: Anne's brother, Per Kristian Orderud; his wife, Veronica Orderud; Veronica's half-sister, Kristin Kirkemo; and Kirkemo's former partner, Lars Grønnerød. Prosecutors said the motive was a dispute over ownership of the Orderud family farm, which Marie and Kristian formally owned even though Per Kristian Orderud had operated it for years and wanted to take it over. Neither the investigation nor the trials established who physically carried out the killings.

On 22 June 2001, Per Kristian Orderud, Veronica Orderud, and Kristin Kirkemo were convicted on all charges and sentenced to 21 years in prison each. Lars Grønnerød was convicted of illegal weapons charges and sentenced to two and a half years. Per Kristian Orderud, Veronica Orderud, and Kirkemo appealed, maintaining their innocence; Grønnerød did not appeal, but prosecutors appealed his sentence as too lenient. On 5 April 2002, an appeals court sentenced Per Kristian Orderud to 21 years in prison, revoking his inheritance rights to the family farm; Veronica Orderud to 21 years; Kristin Kirkemo to 16 years; and Lars Grønnerød to 18 years.

The case drew sustained Norwegian media coverage, including detailed, named reporting on the accused, and prompted public debate about media conduct and about leaks to the press from police and defense sources during the investigation and trials.

Key facts

Victims
Kristian Orderud, Marie Orderud, Anne Orderud Paust
Date
1999
Location
Orderud Estate, Sørum, Akershus, Norway
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1998-07-17

    Anne Orderud Paust discovers an explosive device under her car outside the Norwegian Ministry of Defence in Oslo; no one is charged over the incident.

  2. 1998-08-12

    Anne's husband reports an apparent attempt to ignite a propane gas tank left near the entrance of the family's Oslo apartment building; no one is charged over the incident.

  3. 1999-05

    Anne's husband, a Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs official, dies of cancer after a short illness, shortly before the murders.

  4. 1999-05

    An anonymous caller warns authorities that Anne Orderud Paust and her parents will be murdered; the caller is never identified.

  5. 1999-05-22

    Anne Orderud Paust and her parents, Marie and Kristian Orderud, are shot and killed at the Orderud family estate in Sørum, Akershus.

  6. 1999-06

    Four people are charged with premeditated murder or complicity in premeditated murder: Per Kristian Orderud, Veronica Orderud, Kristin Kirkemo, and Lars Grønnerød.

  7. 2001-06-22

    Per Kristian Orderud, Veronica Orderud, and Kristin Kirkemo are convicted on all charges and sentenced to 21 years in prison each; Lars Grønnerød is convicted of illegal weapons charges and sentenced to two and a half years.

  8. 2002-04-05

    An appeals court sentences Per Kristian Orderud to 21 years (revoking his inheritance rights to the family farm), Veronica Orderud to 21 years, Kristin Kirkemo to 16 years, and Lars Grønnerød to 18 years.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Per Kristian Orderud

    CONVICTED

    Anne Orderud Paust's brother (b. 1954). Convicted of complicity in premeditated murder on 22 June 2001 and sentenced to 21 years; sentence upheld on appeal on 5 April 2002, with loss of inheritance rights to the family farm.

  • Kristian Orderud

    VICTIM

    81-year-old victim (b. 1918), father of Anne Orderud Paust and Per Kristian Orderud. Shot and killed at the Orderud family estate on 22 May 1999.

  • Marie Orderud

    VICTIM

    84-year-old victim (b. 1915), mother of Anne Orderud Paust and Per Kristian Orderud. Shot and killed at the Orderud family estate on 22 May 1999.

  • Lars Grønnerød

    CONVICTED

    Kristin Kirkemo's former partner (b. 1958). Convicted of illegal weapons charges on 22 June 2001 and sentenced to two and a half years; sentence increased to 18 years on 5 April 2002 after the prosecution appealed it as too lenient.

  • Anne Orderud Paust

    VICTIM

    47-year-old victim; personal secretary to Norway's Defence Minister. Shot and killed at the Orderud family estate on 22 May 1999.

  • Veronica Orderud

    CONVICTED

    Per Kristian Orderud's wife (b. 1972). Convicted of complicity in premeditated murder on 22 June 2001 and sentenced to 21 years; sentence upheld on appeal on 5 April 2002.

  • Kristin Kirkemo

    CONVICTED

    Veronica Orderud's half-sister (b. 1973), later known as Kristin Kirkemo Haukeland. Convicted of complicity in premeditated murder on 22 June 2001 and sentenced to 21 years; sentence reduced to 16 years on appeal on 5 April 2002.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Orderud Estate, Sørum, Akershus, Norway

59.9756, 11.2517

View on the map

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Anne Orderud Paust and her elderly parents, Marie and Kristian Orderud, were shot and killed at the family's estate in Sørum, Norway, on 22 May 1999. Four people — Anne's brother, his wife, her half-sister, and the half-sister's former partner — were later convicted over the killings, which prosecutors linked to a dispute over the family farm.
Where did the murder happen?
Orderud Estate, Sørum, Akershus, Norway.
Who was convicted?
Per Kristian Orderud (Anne Orderud Paust's brother (b. 1954). Convicted of complicity in premeditated murder on 22 June 2001 and sentenced to 21 years; sentence upheld on appeal on 5 April 2002, with loss of inheritance rights to the family farm.), Lars Grønnerød (Kristin Kirkemo's former partner (b. 1958). Convicted of illegal weapons charges on 22 June 2001 and sentenced to two and a half years; sentence increased to 18 years on 5 April 2002 after the prosecution appealed it as too lenient.), Veronica Orderud (Per Kristian Orderud's wife (b. 1972). Convicted of complicity in premeditated murder on 22 June 2001 and sentenced to 21 years; sentence upheld on appeal on 5 April 2002.), and Kristin Kirkemo (Veronica Orderud's half-sister (b. 1973), later known as Kristin Kirkemo Haukeland. Convicted of complicity in premeditated murder on 22 June 2001 and sentenced to 21 years; sentence reduced to 16 years on appeal on 5 April 2002.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Norway

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICOrderud caseWikipedia · 2026-07-12
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — vg.novg.no · 2026-07-12
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — tux1.aftenposten.notux1.aftenposten.no · 2026-07-12

Record history

First published
JUL 13, 2026