BELMONT – A discovery made during a creek improvement project at Twin Pines Park in Belmont is not connected to the missing person case of Ylva Hagner, a Bay Area woman who vanished without a trace nearly 30 years ago, according to authorities.
Hagner, a 42-year-old native of Sweden and resident of Palo Alto, was last seen the night of Oct. 14, 1996, working at her desk at IXOS Software in Belmont, this news organization reported at the time. Her car was found three days later, just six blocks from her office. The keys were in the ignition and the doors were unlocked.
The discovery at Twin Pines Park “prompted immediate coordination with local authorities and relevant agencies,” the Belmont Police Department said in a news release Friday. Work on the creek improvement project was also temporarily suspended.
Police said a portion of the park was closed Thursday for an investigation, which determined the discovery was not associated with the Hagner missing person case.
“While we understand there may be questions, details about the specific nature of the discovery will not be disclosed to protect the site and prevent unauthorized access,” police said.
The rest of the park remains open to the public.
The city is working with law enforcement, cultural resource specialists and designated tribal representatives to “ensure all next steps are handled appropriately and respectfully,” police said, adding that “updates will be provided as appropriate.”
In 2023, the search for answers in the Hagner missing person case took authorities to Stulsaft Park and an adjacent residence in Redwood City. Thomas Pressburger, who was dating Hagner at the time of her disappearance, owned the residence and purchased it about seven months before she went missing, according to media reports.
News cameras captured FBI agents and evidence technicians removing paving stones in the yard of the home and preparing to dig. At the time, Belmont police Lt. Peter Lotti told CBS Bay Area the case had been refocused and an investigation was underway into the whereabouts of the missing woman. He did not say what led authorities to the park and residence or how they were connected to the case.
Check back for updates.