Culture Night Killer Sentenced To Prison

A teenager, aged seventeen, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for murdering Bryndís Klara Birgisdóttir on Culture Night in 2024. He is also convicted of stabbing two other teenagers. The boy confessed in his hearing, which was published on Reykjavík District Court’s website.

In the evening of August 24, 17-year-old Bryndís Klara Birgisdóttir was killed by the boy on Culture Night near Skúlagata. Following her transportation to Landspítali Hospital, she died from her wounds.

In his testimony, the boy said he usually carried a knife with him, including that night. He did not aim to cause any harm, he clarified.

Described “losing it”

That night, he described approaching the five teenagers who were sitting in a parked car. He wanted to talk to a girl whom he claimed to be his ex-girlfriend. He wanted her to exit the car for the conversation, but the other two people denied his request and rolled the car window up.

According to the testimony, he states losing it, slamming the window and causing it to break. At that moment, he reached for his knife. His descriptions when stabbing the teenagers are unclear, reasoning that he panicked at one point and claimed his vision was obstructed in the darkness.

According to the boy, he felt guilty over the events that transpired. He said it hurt him how he treated his ex-girlfriend, that the people present did not deserve this, and that his actions were the biggest mistake he has made, and would cause him lifelong remorse.

According to a psychiatric evaluation carried out by a psychiatrist and an officer selected by the court, the boy seemed to have lacked an understanding for his behaviour and remorse — except towards Bryndís. He was prone to justifying his actions and was described accusatory in some part toward the victims.

Checked ex-girlfriend’s location 150 times

The court convicted him of murder and two murder attempts. In the hearing’s results chapter, the court noted that the boy had spoken about meeting his ex-girlfriend from the beginning. The boy had not revealed his constant phone calls and messages to her, or how often he had tracked her location through an app on his phone. On February 26, Vísir reported that he had checked the girl’s location up to 150 times before the attack.

In addition to his prison sentence, he is made to pay 13 million ISK in compensation fees and 25 million ISK in case fees.