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On Wednesday, May 10, 2023, Belmont police reported that they have renewed the search for Ylva Hagner, a Palo Alto resident who went missing in 1996. Authorities said that despite the fact that the case has been cold for approximately 30 years, they will renew it since Belmont is a small community and they have the resources to pursue old disappearances.
According to ABC 7, Ylva Hagner went missing at age 42 on October 14, 1996. She was last seen at her workplace, a Belmont-based software company. Four days later, her empty car was discovered in the nearby town of San Carlos in San Mateo, California.
Officials have not yet identified any suspects in the search.
The 1996 search for Ylva Hagner
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that on the day of her disappearance, Ylva Hagner had attended a company party at work, and emailed an essay for a Stanford University Graduate course. In the original 1996 search, authorities said that they could not find any evidence of foul play.
On October 16, an employee at her company, Axios, reported her missing after she failed to show up to work. On October 15, her black Honda Civic was found near Belmont. It was unlocked with the keys still in the ignition. Authorities could not find the missing woman's purse or wallet.
Larry Riche, who was commander of the Belmont Police Department in 1996, said:
"We have nothing to show that she was kidnapped, we can't find any signs of a struggle or anything like that so all we can say at this point is it's a disappearance under extremely suspicious circumstances."
During the course of the search, authorities interviewed Ylva Hagner's former husband, as well as three of her former boyfriends. They also searched a vacant home on Page Mill Road, but couldn't find any concrete evidence from it.
The renewed search for Ylva Hagner
ABC news reported that on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, officers from the Belmont Police, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, and the FBI searched a home on Farm Boulevard in Redwood City. They were checking to see if they could find Hagner's remains.
They have also searched several other homes, as well as Stulsaft Park. Officers could be seen searching the brick patio in the backyard of one home. They also scanned certain areas for any signs of human remains, and dismantled certain structures to see if Hagner's body was hidden anywhere.
One neighbor, Annie Norgard, commented on the search.
She said:
"Hopefully they find something and figure it out. The Nextdoor app was buzzing all day. It is usually quiet here but of course we saw all the police and helicopters here today."
The case currently remains under investigation.
