Acclaimed metal musician and writer Andréa Meyer was killed on Wednesday, Oct. 13 in a gruesome bow and arrow attack. Meyer was one of five people allegedly killed by 37-year-old Espen Andersen Bråthen, who went on a rampage in the quiet Norwegian town of Kongsberg with a bow, arrows and an unspecified stabbing implement, according to a report by The Associated Press. Bråthen has reportedly confessed to the five murders, but the case is ongoing.
Meyer is known to many in the metal music scene by her stage name Nebelhexë, but she has worked extensively as a writer, actress and model as well. She was previously married to the lead guitarist of the band EMPEROR and was living alone in Kongsberg while working on her blog and other projects. Local police believe that Bråthen picked Meyer and other victims randomly on his violent spree, and he is currently being held in a medical facility as the investigation goes on. According to the latest update from NME, police fear there may be more charges for Bråthen before the case is closed.
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The attack took place in Kongsberg, Norway, where Meyer has worked on three Nebelhexë albums, numerous articles and other projects exploring esoteric study, mythology, human nature and music trends. She was previously married to guitarist Tomas “Samoth” Haugen, with whom she shared a daughter named Alva.
The police do not believe that Meyer or any of the other victims were targeted specifically, but instead that Bråthen fired at whoever he happened to come upon. Police inspector Per Thomas Omholt said that Bråthen was “not very social” and “all the indications are that he chose his victims at random,” and that he acted alone.
Omholt also tried to dispel rumors that Bråthen had been radicalized by Islam. Bråthen did post a video to social media in 2017 “warning” others that he had converted to an extreme version of the Muslim faith, but Omholt said, “the thinking is that he did not take [the conversion] very seriously. By this we mean that he did not follow or practice the traditions that are common in this culture and religion.”
Bråthen has a past conviction for burglary and drug possession. His parents asked for a restraining order against him last year after he threatened to murder one of them. At the time of this writing, it is not clear how the case against him will proceed. Fans are mourning Meyer widely on social media.
