Delia D'Ambra

He explained that he'd given Stina Sofia and Lena permission to go swimming alone, and when they departed his house around 6.30 p.m., they'd been carrying their swimsuits, towels, and a bottle of fizzy drink in a plastic grocery bag.

He explained that he'd given Stina Sofia and Lena permission to go swimming alone, and when they departed his house around 6.30 p.m., they'd been carrying their swimsuits, towels, and a bottle of fizzy drink in a plastic grocery bag.

According to the docuseries, The Banahaya Killings, and additional reporting by Norwegian news outlets, Lena had made plans to sleep over with Stina Sofia Friday night while her father, who she was visiting for a few days, was out of town.

According to the docuseries, The Banahaya Killings, and additional reporting by Norwegian news outlets, Lena had made plans to sleep over with Stina Sofia Friday night while her father, who she was visiting for a few days, was out of town.

You see, Stina Sofia and Lena's parents were both divorced and remarried, and so the two of them being in Grimm at their dad's homes that particular weekend was a result of the custody agreement their parents had worked out. Anyway, the reality that two young girls had gone missing in such a popular recreation area was concerning to the police.

You see, Stina Sofia and Lena's parents were both divorced and remarried, and so the two of them being in Grimm at their dad's homes that particular weekend was a result of the custody agreement their parents had worked out. Anyway, the reality that two young girls had gone missing in such a popular recreation area was concerning to the police.

So they wasted no time organizing a formal search, and by the next morning, Saturday, May 20th, helicopters, scent dogs, and more than 100 volunteers from the Red Cross and local communities descended on Banahaya to look for the girls.

So they wasted no time organizing a formal search, and by the next morning, Saturday, May 20th, helicopters, scent dogs, and more than 100 volunteers from the Red Cross and local communities descended on Banahaya to look for the girls.

Law enforcement set up a command center in a parking lot next to a pond in the park, and from there, they dispatched various search crews to comb the landscape for any sign of Lena and Stina Sofia. In order to cover as much ground as possible, volunteers split up into multiple groups, and each one focused on a different area of the park. The main grids of interest were near Lake No.

Law enforcement set up a command center in a parking lot next to a pond in the park, and from there, they dispatched various search crews to comb the landscape for any sign of Lena and Stina Sofia. In order to cover as much ground as possible, volunteers split up into multiple groups, and each one focused on a different area of the park. The main grids of interest were near Lake No.

3, portions of neighboring Ravnadalan Park, and another adjacent recreation space called Bimarka. These were all woodland areas that investigators suspected the girls might have gotten lost in. And I say gotten lost because that's genuinely the mindset law enforcement had during that first day of searching.

3, portions of neighboring Ravnadalan Park, and another adjacent recreation space called Bimarka. These were all woodland areas that investigators suspected the girls might have gotten lost in. And I say gotten lost because that's genuinely the mindset law enforcement had during that first day of searching.

Christianson's police chief of staff told reporters that the department was simply treating the case as a missing persons investigation at that time. Investigators had found nothing that indicated the girls had fallen victim to a crime. So basically, until the police had more information or evidence to go off of, they had to consider all possible scenarios.

Christianson's police chief of staff told reporters that the department was simply treating the case as a missing persons investigation at that time. Investigators had found nothing that indicated the girls had fallen victim to a crime. So basically, until the police had more information or evidence to go off of, they had to consider all possible scenarios.

And for whatever reason, at the top of their theory list was the optimistic notion that the girls had simply gotten lost. As the search continued, volunteers walked in lines several meters away from one another and scoured the landscape for any trace of the girls. If they found something of interest, they were instructed to holler out the word, here. But unfortunately, that didn't happen.

And for whatever reason, at the top of their theory list was the optimistic notion that the girls had simply gotten lost. As the search continued, volunteers walked in lines several meters away from one another and scoured the landscape for any trace of the girls. If they found something of interest, they were instructed to holler out the word, here. But unfortunately, that didn't happen.

As Saturday dragged on, teams were assigned to look in sections of the forest west of the swimming area that Lena and Stina Sophia were supposed to have visited. But again, they came up empty-handed. Seemingly, even the dogs that were being used to try and locate the girls hadn't picked up their scents. As Saturday came to a close, things were looking bleak.

As Saturday dragged on, teams were assigned to look in sections of the forest west of the swimming area that Lena and Stina Sophia were supposed to have visited. But again, they came up empty-handed. Seemingly, even the dogs that were being used to try and locate the girls hadn't picked up their scents. As Saturday came to a close, things were looking bleak.

It had been more than 24 hours since the girls vanished, but search crews refused to give up. They continued to work throughout the night, and law enforcement held a press conference that evening and released photos of both girls to the public in an attempt to drum up leads that might explain where they were.

It had been more than 24 hours since the girls vanished, but search crews refused to give up. They continued to work throughout the night, and law enforcement held a press conference that evening and released photos of both girls to the public in an attempt to drum up leads that might explain where they were.