Lawyer seeks to reopen 2004 Knutby murder case

A Swedish lawyer will submit a formal request on Friday to reopen the investigation into the 2004 Knutby murder, citing flaws in the original case, SVT Nyheter reports.

Attorney Johan Eriksson, representing the convicted woman known as the “babysitter,” will file a petition with the Prosecutor-General (Riksåklagaren) to restart the preliminary investigation. The move follows a series of reports by Aftonbladet last autumn that uncovered multiple inconsistencies in the case.

The investigation questioned whether the convicted woman could have fired all the fatal shots. Forensic evidence suggested more gunshots were fired at the victim—a pastor’s wife—than the defendant admitted to, raising the possibility of another shooter. Discrepancies in bullet trajectories and a blood pool beneath the bed also indicated the victim may already have been dead when some shots were fired.

“You can’t kill someone who’s already dead. That’s why she shouldn’t be convicted of murder,” Eriksson told media in November. He acknowledged, however, that her conviction for attempted murder—based on her own admission—should stand.

A follow-up report by Aftonbladet this week identified a potential alternative suspect linked to the religious sect. The individual was detained by one of the first officers at the scene and found to have 41 gunshot residue particles on their clothing, suggesting recent firearm use.

Eriksson plans to hold a press conference on Friday to provide further details.