Stig Millehaugen was in and out of jail for years in Norway, after a long string of convictions ranging from robberies to murder. On Thursday he was found dead in his cell at a prison in Kongsvinger, and an investigation is underway.
Millehaugen had most recently been charged and held in custody in connection with the murder of Metkel Betew, one of those involved in the robbery of a NOKAS currency depot in Stavanger in April 2004. It remains the largest robbery in Norwegian history, with NOK 57 million in cash stolen and never recovered, and a police officer killed in the process.
Betew had been released from prison 10 years later but wound up back in prison on other charges including drug smuggling. He’d been most recently released from prison in June 2024 until he was found shot in a forested area at Godlia on Oslo’s east side last spring. Millehaugen had been on leave at the time of Betew’s murder, was suspected of being involved in it and arrested again a week later.
Millehaugen denied the new murder charges against him, but was ordered held in custody again as late as last week without further protests from Millehaugen. Norwegian media were reporting on Friday that a judge also upheld court orders that Millehaugen not be allowed any correspondence with others tied to the case. His letters and visitors at the prison in Kongsvinger were also controlled by prison authorities.
When Norwegian media report that people “are found dead,” it’s often a reference to suspected suicide, which continues to either go unreported or be treated carefully under local press tradition. In this case, however, police issued a press release that Millehaugen’s death “was unexpected,” and that an investigation into his death had been launched. A prosecutor also told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that it “was too early” to release a cause of death and that an autopsy had been ordered.
Police were also examining Millehaugen’s prison cell, questioning prison personnel and others who’d had contact with him. Police said he was last seen alive when he was locked back into his cell Wednesday evening.
Millehaugen’s longtime defense attorney Morten Furuholmen told news bureau NTB that he had “didn’t want to speculate around this,” calling his client’s death “just sad.” Millehaugen’s criminal career began when he was still a teenager and got involved with the so-called Tveita Gang in Oslo at the time. That led to several armed robberies of post offices (which functioned like banks at the time) in Oslo, several prison terms and escapes, during one of which he shot and killed a prison guard in 1992.
Millehaugen was also convicted of the murder of another Oslo gang leader, Mohammed Javed, in January 2009. He was known for turning himself in on occasion after various prison escapes. He also wrote a book about his life of crime. He was age 56 when he was found dead Thursday morning.
NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund
