On Friday, the Gällivare District Court ruled on the issue of guilt in the high-profile Lainiom murder in January this year.
The evidence against the accused man, who is in his 45s, is considered convincing, which means a conviction.
Stabbed at least 15 times
Prosecutor Kristin Andersson has pursued the case in which a 75-year-old man was found stabbed – at least 15 times – in his car along a village road.
"Now we are waiting for the forensic psychiatric examination, which usually takes four weeks," Andersson told SVT.
Twelve decisive minutes
Above all, it is a picture and two testimonies that have been central to the prosecution's evidence. To summarize the timeline in brief, it looks as follows:
- Witnesses see the defendant leaving his home at 14:30 p.m. on Jan. 24.
- The murdered man, sitting in his own car and photographing the defendant's vehicle in front at 14:44 p.m.
- Witness finds 75-year-old badly stabbed in his car 14:56 p.m.
The victim solved his own murder
Kristin Andersson says that the image also contains another decisive factor.
"There is no blood on the windshield when the plaintiff photographs the defendant's car. But the witness who arrives twelve minutes later says it does. Even police technicians say there was blood on the windshield, she says.
Verdict expected in a month
Since the district court has ruled on guilt, the man will remain in custody. Kristin Andersson does not want to speculate on whether the man will be sentenced to prison or care.
"It's up to the court to judge. But my position is that the penalty amounts to 18 years in prison.
The murder shook the village
The tragic event greatly affected the villagers of Lainio. In the clip below, Ulf Henricson tells how they tried to save the knife-cut man.
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In the clip you hear Ulf Henricson about the tragic event in the village of Lainio outside Kiruna. Photo: SVT Nyheter Norrbotten