Who is Anne-Mari Eriksen, FSU shooter Phoenix Ikner's birth mother?
Phoenix Ikner's mother violated custody by fleeing to Norway, leading to an international dispute and concerns over his health.
New details have emerged regarding the troubled past of Phoenix Ikner, the accused Florida State University shooter, shedding light on a dramatic and complex family history. Court documents reveal that his biological mother, amidst a bitter custody battle, kidnapped him and fled to Norway nearly a decade before the tragic shooting.
Who is Anne-Mari Eriksen?
In March 2015, Anne-Mari Eriksen violated a custody agreement by taking her 11-year-old son, Phoenix Ikner, to Norway under false pretences. She had told Christopher Ikner, her ex-husband and Phoenix’s father, that they were merely going to South Florida for spring break. Instead, she fled with him to a Scandinavian country, sparking an international custody dispute. This bold move, detailed in a probable cause affidavit from the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, as reported by The Post.
The affidavit stated, “Instead of staying in South Florida, the defendant allegedly fled the country with him in violation of their custody agreement.” Christopher Ikner was not aware of his son’s kidnapping until the 11-year-old told him about it during a phone call. While Eriksen had the custody rights, the documents advised that she should not take the child away of the country without prior notice.
According to the affidavit, she promised to return the kid on March 27 to the US and his dad, but she failed to fulfil it. Upon no return of the child by the promised date, Christopher got worried and alerted the authorities once, saying his son “has developmental delays and special needs,” which he was worried would not be fulfilled without the availability of professional medical staff. Phoenix was “on medication for several health and mental issues, to include a growth hormone disorder and ADHD," as reported by The New York Post.
Eriksen sought $80,000 in damages for Phoenix’s college fund
She did not return to the U.S. until July 27, 2015, when she was arrested at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for illegally removing her son from Florida. She later pleaded no contest to the charge. Shortly after her return, in October 2015, Eriksen filed a lawsuit for slander and libel against Christopher Ikner, his wife Jessica, and two other relatives, further escalating the already volatile family conflict.
The suit stated, “The emotional and psychological harm done to the minor child will be evident for years, and will require counseling, and given the child being the age of 11, will have memory impacted by the behaviors of all the defendants for the false claims done on his mother, and for the parental alienation of the close relationship of the minor child.” Eriksen requested $80,000 in damages, claiming the amount would be put toward securing her son's future, specifically his college expenses.
