The Palm Prosecutor: The murder closer to a solution - can prosecute within five months

SVT News broadcasts directly from 17.10

This week's crime can reveal today that a message about whether a prosecution is being brought in the Palm murder - or if Sweden's largest murder investigation is closed - is imminent. Within five months, the prosecutor shall give notice on the prosecution question.

- My goal is to present it in the first half of 2020. I am optimistic. We have worked hard and we have traces we believe in a lot, says prosecutor Krister Petersson to Veckans crime.

34 years have passed since Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot dead. The murder investigation has over the years followed up and dismissed numerous traces. Not since the charge against Christer Pettersson has the murder appeared to be close to a solution. Until now. Krister Petersson reveals to Veckan's crimes that he has "highly interesting tracks" and that he has come closer to a solution to Sweden's largest murder mystery.

- In my opinion, we have come closer to a solution. I have been positive all the time since I took over the investigation in 2017. I have spent much more time on this than I thought. Good work, I think, will lead to good results, he says.

Then is it more inclined that you should prosecute a suspected offender?

- I won't say that, but that interpretation is free.

If the preliminary investigation is closed, it means that the Palmegruppen - which now consists of Petersson and four investigators from the police's National Operations Department (NOA), will be dissolved and 34 years of work completed.

- It may be that we have come as far as we can ask of us and further investigation will not give anything. It is a possibility, but I do not want to anticipate what we will present during this first half of the year.

Krister Peterson states that he already knows today whether he will close the preliminary investigation or prosecute. If there is a prosecution, 34 years after the murder was committed, it would be a feat for the tanned chief prosecutor.

- Yes, that would be sensational, you might say.

Another scenario that Week's crime discusses with Krister Petersson is whether a perpetrator can be presented, but not prosecuted, for example if the perpetrator has died.

- Hypothetically, if we have worked against an offender and judge that it is the only perpetrator and we cannot prosecute him, then the preliminary investigation is closed.