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Vanessa Richardson
Hi, Crime House community. It's Vanessa Richardson. Exciting news. Conspiracy theories, cults and crimes is leveling up. Starting the week of January 12th, you'll be getting two episodes every week. Wednesdays, we unravel the conspiracy or the cult, and on Fridays, we look at a corresponding crime. Every week has a theme. Tech, bioterror, power, paranoia, you name it. Follow conspiracy theories, cults and crimes now on your podcast app because you're about to dive deeper, get weirder, and go darker than ever before.
Carter Roy
This is crime house. Missing key cards, a suitcase full of ammunition, a fake name, and a woman whose very existence seemed to defy explanation. We're constantly leaving behind traces of ourselves, whether we mean to or not. We touch something and leave a fingerprint. We make a purchase and talk with the cashier. Everything, no matter how big or small, comes together as proof that we were there, that we existed. When it comes to unidentified or missing victims, these are the breadcrumbs investigators rely on. But what happens when someone has purposely tried to erase that trail? Detectives in Oslo, Norway, were faced with this very question in 1995. On June 3, a woman was found dead in the Plaza Hotel. Right away, the authorities realized this wasn't going to be an open and shut case. The name she'd used to check in wasn't real. She'd given no credit card or id. Her clothes had no labels. Every possible path to identification had been cut off or led nowhere. It all added up to one of the most perplexing cases in European history. To this day, no one is sure who the Oslo Plaza woman was. But there's no shortage of theories and speculation. Because when someone is so careful to conceal their identity, it can only mean one thing. They're hiding from something or someone. This is the story of the Oslo Plaza woman. People's lives are like a story. There's a beginning, a middle, and an end. But you don't always know which part you're on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon. And we don't always get to know the real ending. I'm Carter Roy, and this is True Crime Stories, a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. New episodes come out every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Thank you for being part of the Crime House community. Please rate, review and follow the show and for early ad free access to every episode. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. Welcome back to another episode of Murder Mystery Fridays where I'm covering unsolved cases with questions that I can't get out of my head. The ones where the Evidence points in multiple directions and every theory feels like a possibility. Today I'm talking about an unsolved murder that made me stop in my tracks. On June 3, 1995, a young woman was found dead at the Plaza Hotel in Oslo, Norway. At first, her death seemed like a tragic suicide. But when investigators looked closer, they realized there was a lot more to her story. Not only did the crime scene look staged, but the victim was virtually untraceable. In the decades since, journalists, conspiracy theorists and Internet sleuths have tried to solve the mystery of the Oslo Plaza woman. Some believe she was a high end escort or a drug smuggler. Others think she was a spy or even an assassin. While her true origins are debated to this day, one thing is certain. Her death wasn't an accident. The question is, who killed her and why? All that and more coming up.
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Carter Roy
Too easy.
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Carter Roy
In June 1996, a young Norwegian journalist named Lars Kristen Wegner was working on a story that would change his life. At that point, his career was just taking off. He'd written a series of articles for Verndesgang, also known as vg, the most read newspaper in Norway. Lars mainly reported on missing persons and unidentified bodies. Unfortunately, he had plenty of subjects to choose from. But that month, he learned about one victim he would never forget. It all started a year earlier. On the night of Saturday, June 3, 1995, at around 7:30pm A receptionist at the Plaza Hotel in Oslo, Norway, realized the guest in room 2805 had exceeded their credit limit. So the staff member sent a message via the hotel TV asking the guest to contact the front desk. The message was marked as received almost immediately, but the receptionist noticed that two other similar messages had already been sent and acknowledged. And yet no charges had been paid. The receptionist was suspicious. She contacted housekeeping, who said they hadn't entered the room since Thursday. Apparently, the do not Disturb sign had been on the door for the last two days. That meant someone may have just stolen a few nights at the most prestigious hotel in Oslo. So the receptionist's next call was to security. The guard reached room 2805 at 7:50pm he knocked a few times, announcing himself as security. Moments later, he heard a gunshot ring out from inside. The guard was stunned. He needed to alert his team, but he didn't want to cause a panic by broadcasting the news over the radio. So he hurried down to the lobby and told the head of security in person. They immediately called the police. But before they arrived, the head of security wanted to see the scene for himself. He took the elevator to the 28th floor and used a universal key card to unlock room 2805. As soon as he opened the door, the smell of gunshot powder hit his nose. Still, he peeked inside just far enough to see a woman's legs hanging off the bed, unmoving. He called out to see if she needed help, but of course, no one answered. Not wanting to disturb anything, he closed the door and went down to the lobby to wait for the authorities. They arrived soon after and asked the staff to identify the woman. They said she'd checked in three days ago. According to their records, her name was Jennifer Fairgate. When authorities finally got to the room, they found Jennifer lying face up in the bed. The white hotel bedding had turned a deep red color around her. There was a single gunshot wound to Jennifer's forehead and a 9 millimeter semiautomatic pistol in her right hand. At first glance, the explanation seemed obvious. This was a suicide. But the closer investigators looked, the less clear the picture became. There were flecks of blood coating the wall behind the bed and blood splatter all around the room. And yet Jennifer's hands were completely clean. There was something unnatural about the way they were positioned, too. They were neatly folded on her chest with the gun sitting in between, almost as if the whole thing had been staged. But there was no evidence to suggest anyone else had been in the room. In fact, there was barely any sign that Jennifer had stayed there. The only luggage Police found was a small turquoise bag and a black leather briefcase. There was a towel lying on the bathroom floor, suggesting she'd recently taken a shower. But there wasn't a single toiletry item in the bathroom, not even a toothbrush. That was strange, especially because Jennifer looked like she took care of herself. She was youthful and seemed to be in her late 20s, maybe early 30s. Her complexion was clear and light. It contrasted nicely with her short, dark hair. She appeared to be wearing makeup on her eyes. But the only cosmetic product in the room was a men's cologne bottle found near the bed. Aside from what Jennifer was wearing, there was almost no clothing in the room. Investigators discovered a sweater and a couple jackets in the closet. There was another top and four bras in the turquoise bag. They didn't find any bottoms except the silky black pajama shorts on her body. Stranger still, someone had removed all all the brand labels from her clothes, even the ones she was wearing. Police searched everywhere, but they couldn't find a purse, wallet or passport. They assumed the front desk would at least have a copy of her id, but when they contacted reception, it only led to more questions. That's when detectives learned the room was actually registered to two people. Jennifer Fairgate and someone named Lois Fargate. That might have been helpful, except the registration card was incomplete. Neither person had provided their passport numbers or country of origin. Jennifer did give a home address in Verlaine, a tiny town in Belgium. At least they had a place to start looking. That night, Norwegian investigators contacted Belgian authorities and asked them to look into Jennifer and Lois Farragate. When police in Norway heard back, they were shocked. Not only did the address not exist, but there were no matches for either name. The body lying in front of them couldn't be Jennifer Fairgate because she wasn't real. But if she wasn't Jennifer Fairgate, then who was she?
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Carter Roy
On June 3, 1995, a woman was found dead in room 2805 at the Plaza Hotel in Oslo, Norway. She checked in under the name Jennifer Fairgate and registered the room to herself and another person named Lois Farragate. Jennifer didn't provide her passport number or id, but she did write down a home address for a small town in Belgium on the registration card. Belgian authorities ran both names and the address through the system, but none of them seemed to exist. Norwegian police knew she'd checked into the Plaza on May 31, so they poured over all the incoming flights from that day. None of them had carried any passengers named Jennifer Fairgate, which wasn't all that surprising. If this woman had been protecting her identity, she probably wouldn't have used the same name to book her flight, and hotel detectives might have had better luck showing her photo to crew members, but it's not clear if they ever did. At this point in the investigation, authorities knew the name Jennifer Fairgate wasn't getting them anywhere. They wondered if her fingerprints would be more useful. The Norwegian Police Service sent her prints to the International Criminal Police Organization, or Interpol, but it was just another dead end. The Oslo Plaza woman didn't have a criminal record or a single missing person's report. Apparently no one was looking for her, or if they were, they didn't want the authorities to know about it. After the prints, the most important piece of evidence was the gun. It was a 9 millimeter semiautomatic pistol. A high powered weapon most commonly used by the military. Not everyday civilians, though it was also popular with criminals. So how had Jennifer gotten her hands on? Was made by Browning, a Belgian company. But both Norway and Belgium were and are known for their strict gun laws. In 1995, someone wanting to purchase a weapon would have had to provide a valid reason, like being part of a sports shooting club. Even then, getting a semi automatic pistol would have been difficult. It would involve intense background checks and a permit from the police. Since Jennifer was untraceable, she'd either lied on her application, gotten it elsewhere, or the gun wasn't hers at all. Detectives checked the gun for a serial number, but it had been removed. Most people who do this simply scratch out the number. And while this makes it unreadable to the naked eye, it's not foolproof. Serial numbers are stamped into the metal of a firearm, so forensic technicians have a few different methods for revealing them if they've been damaged. Jennifer's pistol was sent to the Norwegian national crime lab, known as Kripos, to see if they could get a read on. Was a bust. Whoever had destroyed this serial number knew what they were doing. The report said it had been etched away, likely with acid and very professionally. But the serial number wasn't the only thing that was removed from the gun. The lab couldn't find a single print on the weapon either. Not from Jennifer or anyone else. Which was strange because she was found holding it in her right hand. Most handguns, including this one, have a matte or ridged surface that doesn't hold prints well, so a lack of fingerprints isn't unheard of. But there wasn't any gunpowder residue found on her hands either. It was another strange detail that showed she probably wasn't the one who fired it. Then there was the issue of how she was holding the weapon. Her grip was reversed. Her thumb, not her index finger, was on the trigger. That would have made sense if she'd truly shot herself in the forehead. But it also would have made it incredibly difficult for her to keep a strong grip as she fired. The investigators only became more suspicious when they looked inside Jennifer's black briefcase. It contained 25 rounds of loose ammunition. That's a lot of ammo for someone only planning to kill themselves. Based on everything, it was looking less and less likely that Jennifer had taken her own life. Which left only one possibility. She was murdered. The assistant chief of police assigned five experienced homicide detectives to pursue that theory. And they focused on a few key pieces of evidence. Number one, Jennifer had gone to great lengths to make herself untraceable. Number two, the crime scene looked staged by a professional. Someone who was able to get into her room, commit a crime, clean the weapon and emerge unseen. Number three, regardless of who pulled the trigger, a military grade pistol had been involved. Taken altogether, detectives reasoned that Jennifer was either a criminal or a spy. They theorized that she was part of an international criminal operation like drug smuggling. Maybe something had gone wrong or she'd crossed the wrong person. Norwegian authorities even investigated whether she was the missing wife of an Italian mob boss. She wasn't. With how much ammunition they found in her briefcase. Investigators also considered the possibility that she was a hit woman. All that firepower also made them wonder if she'd been working for an intelligence agency. Neither theory was easy to verify, though. Jennifer didn't leave behind a hit list. And they couldn't exactly call various governments to ask if any of their spies had gone missing. So after a year of investigating, the authorities returned to their original conclusion. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, they ruled that Jennifer had died by suicide. They set her burial for June 26, 1996, just over a year after she was found dead. At this point, journalist Lars Kristen Wegener heard about Jennifer's case. He couldn't make it to the funeral, so he asked a photographer to take some shots for the article he was writing. When the pictures came back, Lars was astounded. They were the loneliest images he'd ever seen. The first was of the church. A casket stood beside an empty pulpit, rows of empty seats before it. At the gravesite, four pallbearers lowered the casket into an anonymous grave. Aside from those who worked for the cemetery, a police investigator had come to show his respects. That was it. There wasn't a headstone or any other kind of marker. Once the hole was filled and the grass grew in, no one would even know this patch of earth was someone's final resting place. But Lars knew. And he couldn't shake the feeling that someone out there would want to know too. So he wrote Jennifer's story. It was a two page spread detailing her mysterious death. More than that, Lars highlighted what little was known about Jennifer herself. The only images of her were from the crime scene or her autopsy. So he hired a sketch artist to recreate what she might have looked like alive. VG published the feature the day after the burial, on June 27, 1996. Lars hoped his article would reach the right person. Someone who had the missing piece that would complete the puzzle. But time marched on, and no calls came in. Over the years, Lars would return to his notes. He'd pore over the documents again and again, hoping he'd miss something. The facts didn't change, but Lars life certainly did. He rose through the ranks at vg, becoming a prominent features writer with each passing year, he made new contacts and accumulated more resources. And by 2015, 20 years after publishing his first story on the Oslo Plaza Woman, Lars felt ready to look at the case with fresh eyes. He reached out to Oslo's new assistant chief of police, and she immediately agreed to help. Lars was elated. Finally, someone cared. And this time around, he was determined to leave no stone unturned. Because someone out there had to know the truth about Jennifer Fairgate. And Lars wouldn't stop until the whole world did too.
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Carter Roy
Lars Kristin Wegner published his first piece about the oslo Plaza woman, aka Jennifer Fairgate, in 1996. Ever since then, her story had hung like a cloud over Lars head. Although her death had been ruled a suicide, Lars believed the truth was much more complicated. And in 2015, he teamed up with the Oslo police to take another look at the case. His first step was to recreate a timeline of Jennifer's movements leading up to her death on June 3, 1995. The only thing he had to work off was the room key log. The police had looked into it too, but the information was pretty sparse. The log only recorded when someone entered the room. Jennifer's key card was used just five times over her three day stay. Investigators at the time assumed this meant Jennifer rarely left her room, which they took as a sign that she was depressed and suicidal. But after checking the record against witness testimony, Lars had a very different theory. The key card was first used on Wednesday, May 31 at 10:44pm this would have been shortly after Jennifer checked in the receptionist working that night. Sasha Renee Anonson, had already been questioned by police. But in 2016, Lars tracked him down and 20 years later, Sasha remembered new details. Sasha said it had been a busy night. The last major flights of the day all arrived around the same time, leading to a wave of incoming guests. Hotel staff worked as fast as they could to clear the lobby of weary travelers. Sasha had been working at the Plaza for nearly a year. The check in process was muscle memory at this point, which came in handy on nights like this. He'd lost track of how many people he'd already helped that evening, and there were a lot more still waiting. When the next guest stepped up to the counter. She said her name was Jennifer Fairgate and explained she'd called ahead. Sasha gave her a registration card to fill out while he went about assigning her room in their computer system. When she finished, she pushed the card back across the counter. He glanced at it as he handed her two key cards for room 2805. Then he pointed her toward the elevators, wished her a pleasant night, and moved on to the next guest. Sasha was pretty sure that Jennifer was alone when she checked in. But another witness, Sasha's supervisor, Evie Tudum Yertsen, was certain someone was with her in 1995. Evie told police that Jennifer was with a man that night. He had dark hair and looked older than Jennifer. Evie guessed he was somewhere in his mid-30s. The only thing she wasn't sure of was the timing. Evie couldn't remember if they'd checked in together or if she'd spotted them at the reception area later that evening. She still wasn't sure when she spoke to Lars in 2016, but she had a vague memory of the man exchanging currency at the front desk while Jennifer stood beside him. Evie's testimony was the only piece of evidence to suggest that Lois Fairgate. The other name on Jennifer's reservation was real. No other hotel employees reported seeing him or anyone else with Jennifer during her stay. And it's not clear when he was added to the reservation. Still, the keycard log seemed to support Evi's memory. Because there was Another entry at 12:21am Just a couple of hours after Jennifer checked in. That meant someone had left the room and come back. Lars wondered if this person had been Lois. The next day was Thursday, June 1, and Jennifer's key was used at 8:34am the following entry was housekeeping at 1:00pm2 cleaners tidied up the room in 1995. They both testified that it was empty while they were there. Lahr spoke to one of them in 2017. Vigdis Valla was the room steward in charge of the entire 28th floor during Jennifer's stay. She confirmed that the room was empty. But she did add another detail that she hadn't mentioned back in 1995. As she gave the room a final once over, Vigdis noticed a pair of women's shoes. After 20 years, she wasn't sure why they caught her attention. She couldn't recall the color or style. But she remembered thinking that she might like a pair for herself. Lars was intrigued. Detectives had only recovered one pair of shoes from from Jennifer's room. He showed Vigdis a picture of them. She shook her head. Those definitely weren't the shoes she'd seen. This confirmed something that Lars had suspected all along. That some of Jennifer's belongings had been removed from the room before her body was found. The problem was he didn't know who'd taken those items or when. The key card was next used at 8:50 the following morning, Friday, June 2nd. That left 24 hours in which Jennifer was unaccounted for. And we know she wasn't in the room during that time since the housekeepers didn't see her when they came to clean. Somehow this fact escaped police back in 1995. Even though they'd examined the keycard log and interviewed Vigdis, they still assumed that Jennifer had been in her room. 24 hours was a long time to be gone from the hotel. If she didn't return to her room, where did Jennifer sleep? Lars wondered if Jennifer might have known someone in Oslo after all. A friend, a lover, a business associate. Unfortunately, no one reported seeing Jennifer leave the hotel or wandering around Oslo. But someone would have seen her come back. According to the log, the key card used on Friday morning was new. Lars couldn't track down the receptionist who was working at the time. But records indicated that Jennifer stopped by by the front desk to extend her stay. Originally, she'd booked the room for May 31 through June 2. But that morning she changed her checkout date to Sunday the 4th and was given two new keys for Lars. This was one of the most important pieces of evidence in the entire case. And it had to do with a unique security feature at the Plaza Hotel. At the time, guests were able to double lock their doors. Now, this doesn't refer to a deadbolt or some other physical lock. If a guest turned the inside door handle up and then down, no one else could get in even if they had a key. What most people didn't know was that you could also double lock the room from the outside using a key card. This meant the only way to get in was either with a key card for that room or a universal key, like the kind security had. After stopping by the front desk on Friday morning, Jennifer would have had four keys. However, only two of them were found in the room with her. At the time, police either didn't realize there were keys missing or didn't think it was important, but Lars did. It meant someone could have entered Jennifer's room, killed her, then left and double locked the room from the outside. That's why the door was locked, even though Jennifer was already dead. Of course, it's also possible a staff member with access to a universal key could have been the assailant. But that has never been proven or investigated as far as Lars is aware. And the key cards weren't the only items that were suspiciously missing by the time Jennifer was discovered. Friday morning was the last time Jennifer's key card was used. But it wasn't the last time she was seen. Jennifer ordered room service that night. The woman who delivered it at around 8:30pm Couldn't help but notice how tidy the room was. Back in 1995. She told police that Jennifer was wearing a skirt suit in a dark color, either navy blue or black, between her clothes in the room. The attendant assumed Jennifer was part of an airline crew. There were always a few staying at the Park Plaza. They wore suits and generally made less of a mess than regular guests. But there was one other thing that made her think Jennifer was a flight attendant. She had a rolling suitcase, the kind that was mostly used by flight crews at the time. The woman forgot to tell police about it in 1995, but when she spoke to Lars, she was certain she'd seen it. About 24 hours later, Jennifer's room was swarming with police. But this suitcase was nowhere to be found. Neither was the skirt the witness reportedly saw Jennifer wearing. It was looking more and more like someone must have removed Items from room 2805. It made Lars want to take a second look at the evidence that had been recovered. But when he put in the request, he was met with terrible news. In 1996, two months after Jennifer was buried, the assistant police chief got rid of everything. Since her death had been declared a suicide, he must have figured they didn't need those items anymore. The precious little physical evidence they'd had was apparently all destroyed or sold at a police auction. Lars was dumbfounded. But luckily someone at Kreipos, the National Crime Lab, refused to discard the weapon. It was the best example of serial number removal they'd seen. So they put it on display instead, where it had stayed for over 20 years. In 2016, Kripos assigned a senior engineer to take another crack at recovering the serial number. Even with the new techniques, they couldn't get a clear result. The serial number remained stubbornly out of reach. Still, Lars wasn't deterred. A lot had changed since 1995, including DNA testing. Back then, DNA technology was still in its infancy. However, the original investigators had kept a vial of Jennifer's blood just in case. Unfortunately, it was later destroyed along with the other evidence. So if Lars wanted to get his hands on Jennifer's DNA, he have to go back to the source, which would mean digging her up. Exhumations are never taken lightly. But in this case, it was their last hope of solving the mystery. So on November 16, 2016, that's what Oslo police did. They were worried the remains would be too degraded for a strong profile. But once they reached her coffin, they were surprised by how much was still intact. A week later, they had a nearly full DNA profile. Samples were also sent for specialized analysis. By studying her teeth, they could tell Germany was Jennifer's potential country of origin. Using carbon dating, they also determined she was likely born in nineteen 1971, which meant she was around 24 years old when she died. That was all interesting information, but it didn't narrow down her identity. Even after more than 20 years, it seemed no one was looking for her. Lars had a hard time believing that in 1996, and it still struck him as odd in 2007. 16. But now he had access to someone who might have an answer. Ulich Huldegger was a former head of a top secret Norwegian intelligence group. He was pretty confident that Jennifer was part of Some sort of covert operation. For him, the lack of evidence was the biggest clue. According to Ulla, removing identifying labels from clothing items was standard procedure for spies operating in Norway. He also said it was likely that Jennifer had a second place to stay in Oslo, maybe a location that was more secure than the hotel. It's possible that's where her missing belongings ended up and where she went during those 24 hours she was away from the the Plaza. She would have been trained to avoid giving out information like credit card or passport numbers. And she would have been adept at going unnoticed, which would explain why so few people remembered seeing her around the hotel. This would also explain why no one had come searching for her. If Jennifer worked for an intelligence organization, her family probably would have been quietly notified of her death and possibly even compensated for their loss. So there wouldn't have been any reason to report her missing. Espionage seemed to connect the most dots. But it was also impossible to prove, which left the door open for other theories. Reddit sleuths have suggested Jennifer was a high end escort. They think Lois Fargate may have been her client or her pimp, and that something went wrong either with Lois or another customer leading to Jennifer's death. It would explain why Jennifer was so secretive and needed extra key cards. These theorists also point to another detail. There was almost no clothing found in Jennifer's room, except for four bras. If her other items weren't removed at some point before her body was found, this may indicate that Jennifer had packed light prioritizing items she would have needed for work. And some Internet detectives think they know who her client was. The night she died, a Belgian man known only as Mr. F was staying in the room next to Jennifer's on Friday, June 3, 1995. Although he never spoke to police, Lars managed to track him down. They exchanged a few emails, but Mr. F stopped responding when Lars asked about Jennifer's death. So Lars traveled to Belgium to find Mr. F. Even then, the man refused to speak with him in person at least. Eventually he did agree to talk, but only on the phone. According to Mr. F, he didn't hear anything strange that night. However, he did say he found out about the incident on Saturday morning from hotel staff when he checked out. For Lars. This was incredibly suspicious because Jennifer wasn't found until that night. Lars tried to press Mr. F, but the mystery man wouldn't say anything else. That was the last time Lars or anyone else involved in the case ever heard from him. Still, conspiracy theorists can't let Mr. F go. They think it's possible he hired Jennifer as a sex worker, then ended up killing her. Lahr still isn't sure what the truth is, but after this second investigation, he wrote a new in depth feature for VG's website. It went live in 2017 along with a TV documentary he also made about the case. This led to renewed interest in the story, which got Netflix's attention. In 2020. The case was featured in the second season of the show Unsolved Mysteries. This was Lars goal back in 1996 to bring as much attention as possible to Jennifer's story in hopes that the right person would see it and come forward. So far, that still hasn't happened. Whether that's because Jennifer didn't want to be found or someone else was determined to keep her death shrouded in mystery, it's hard to say. But in the end, everyone deserves to be remembered. And Jennifer Fairgate, whoever she was, will never be forgotten. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Carter Roy and this is True Crime Stories. Come back next time for the story of another murder and all the people it affected. Murder True Crime Stories is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media, Rimehouse on TikTok and Instagram. Don't forget to rate, review and follow True Crime Stories wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference and to enhance your Murder True Crime Stories listening experience. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode early and ad free. We'll be back on Tuesday. True Crime Stories is hosted by me, Carter Roy and is a Crime House original. Powered by Pave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the Murder True Crime Stories team. Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benedon, Natalie Pertofsky, Lori Marinelli, Ellie Reed, Sarah Camp, and Russell Nash. Thank you for listening.
Vanessa Richardson
Looking for your next listen? Hi, it's Vanessa Richardson and I have exciting news. Conspiracy Theories, Cults and crimes is leveling up starting the week of January 12th. You'll be getting two episodes every week. Wednesdays we unravel the conspiracy or the cult and on Fridays we look at a corresponding crime. Follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen.
Podcast: Murder: True Crime Stories
Host: Carter Roy
Episode: MYSTERY: The Oslo Plaza Woman
Date: January 23, 2026
This episode examines the perplexing unsolved case of the “Oslo Plaza Woman.” Found dead in a luxury Oslo hotel room in 1995 under suspicious circumstances, her true identity and the circumstances of her death are still unknown. Host Carter Roy reconstructs the events, theories, and investigative failures around the woman known only by her false registration name: “Jennifer Fairgate.” Journalist Lars Kristen Wegner’s dogged efforts to keep the case alive, alongside modern forensic and investigative developments, are explored in depth.
Quote:
"Her death wasn't an accident. The question is, who killed her and why?"
— Carter Roy (04:28)
Key Details:
Investigative Deadlocks:
Investigators’ Theory Evolution:
Quote:
"Whoever had destroyed this serial number knew what they were doing. The report said it had been etched away, likely with acid and very professionally."
— Carter Roy (17:49)
Quote:
"They were the loneliest images he'd ever seen. ... Lars knew. And he couldn't shake the feeling that someone out there would want to know too."
— Carter Roy (21:39)
Key Findings:
Quote:
"It meant someone could have entered Jennifer's room, killed her, then left and double locked the room from the outside. That's why the door was locked, even though Jennifer was already dead."
— Carter Roy (32:55)
DNA Advances:
Expert Opinions:
Quote:
"Whether that's because Jennifer didn't want to be found or someone else was determined to keep her death shrouded in mystery, it's hard to say. But in the end, everyone deserves to be remembered."
— Carter Roy (47:36)
On conspiracy and cover-up:
"There was almost no clothing found in Jennifer's room, except for four bras. If her other items weren't removed at some point before her body was found, this may indicate that Jennifer had packed light, prioritizing items she would have needed for work."
— Carter Roy (44:12)
On the evidence of professional crime:
"Whoever had destroyed this serial number knew what they were doing... The lab couldn’t find a single print on the weapon either. Not from Jennifer or anyone else."
— Carter Roy (17:49)
On the emotional impact of her lonely burial:
"They were the loneliest images he'd ever seen. The first was of the church. A casket stood beside an empty pulpit, rows of empty seats before it."
— Carter Roy (21:39)
On the story’s enduring pull:
"Someone out there had to know the truth about Jennifer Fairgate. And Lars wouldn't stop until the whole world did too."
— Carter Roy (25:39)
Carter Roy delivers the narrative with the measured, contemplative tone typical of high-caliber true crime podcasts, balancing forensic detail with moments of empathy and reflection on the victim’s humanity. The script is rich with descriptive language ("loneliest images he’d ever seen," "her very existence seemed to defy explanation") and avoids sensationalism, focusing instead on respectful contemplation and the haunting persistence of unsolved questions.
This episode of Murder: True Crime Stories captures the enigmatic essence of the Oslo Plaza Woman case—a story marked by vanished identities, obstructed investigations, and tireless journalistic efforts. It blends methodical recounting of facts with poignant reflection, illustrating why even decades-old mysteries continue to fascinate and disturb, reminding listeners that every victim, no matter how anonymous, deserves to be remembered and sought.