A 44-year-old man in Sweden has been sentenced to prison for the murder of a 16-year-old girl 25 years ago.
16-year-old Malin Lindström disappeared in November 1996 in Örnsköldsvik municipality, which is located south of Umeå on the east coast in northern Sweden.
Bound and abused
The teenager was last seen on November 23, 1996, when she was to meet a friend.
Malin (16) was brutally killed: Reopens murder mystery
Six months later, on May 22, 1997, the body was found tried to be hidden under spruce twigs.
Lindström had been stabbed to death and severely abused. Legs and arms were tied with tape and police could see traces of sexual assault.
A small sperm stain with DNA was found on the 16-year-old’s clothes.
“There was no technique for retrieving a DNA profile at that time. But that technique exists today “, writes Swedish Aftonbladet.
Lack of technical evidence
The man was first convicted of the murder in the district court, but later acquitted in the court of appeal. He was acquitted primarily due to a lack of technical evidence that could link him to the crime.
New twist in 30-year-old murder mystery
After new technology made it possible to use the DNA remains on the girl’s clothes to obtain a DNA profile, the police asked to take new blood samples from the man, but the Supreme Court said no.
sea view
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All the old blood samples were discarded as a result of the acquittal, as required by law.
However, the police have managed to find a forgotten blood sample from the man after going through the entire investigation material again. This allowed the case to be tried again.
The 16-year-old’s father, Rune Lindström, received the message on the morning of Monday 30 May. He tells Aftonbladet that it was a relief.
– It must be possible to prove it in a court case and the outcome is difficult to predict. But it will be another conviction – I hope so anyway. I have difficulty seeing anything else, he told the newspaper when the news became known.
He was right that there was a conviction.
Sentenced to five years in prison
The Court of Appeal writes in a press release that it has been proven beyond any reasonable doubt that the man is the one who has deprived the girl of her life.
The man has been sentenced to five years in prison. Prosecutor Stina Sjöqvist had demanded six years in prison.
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The Court of Appeal says that the man’s young age at the time of the crime, and that it has been a long time since the crime, means that the sentence is five years in prison.
Will try to take the case to the Supreme Court
The 44-year-old’s defender, Ulf Holst, says that he is disappointed with the verdict and the Court of Appeal’s way of assessing the evidence. He does not think the evidence is sufficient, and says they have discussed appealing the verdict.
– We will try to take the case to the Supreme Court. I really hope that the Supreme Court takes the time to try the case, says Holst.
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