28-year-old Fredrik Malm has been charged with the brutal murder of a 74-year-old woman in November last year in Gnosjö. He is also charged with preparation for several other murders.

It was on November 13, 2023, when Fredrik attacked the elderly woman in a wooded area between Töllstorp and Åviken in Gnosjö and subjected her to deadly violence. According to the indictment, he repeatedly struck the woman in the head with a hammer and then stabbed her in the head and upper body with a knife.

Fredrik and the victim were not acquainted, and no other motive for the crime has been established other than Fredrik’s desire to kill. The murder was also premeditated. Before the attack, Fredrik had reconnoitered outside the woman’s residence on several occasions.

Planned to murder several

Similarly, the investigation has revealed that Fredrik planned to murder additional people in the same brutal manner, in the same area of Gnosjö where he resides, and in one case, even in Gothenburg, where he traveled armed with weapons and other equipment purchased for this purpose.

However, some time after the completed murder of the elderly woman, he voluntarily reported himself to the police. According to the indictment, this was not primarily due to remorse, but because Fredrik had incurred significant debts to individuals who did not appreciate that the loans were not being repaid.

Differing assessments of mental disorder

Due to the peculiar circumstances surrounding the murder, it was decided that Fredrik would undergo a forensic psychiatric examination. This indicated that he suffered from some form of serious mental disorder and that if convicted of the murder, he should not be sentenced to prison but to care.

However, a more comprehensive forensic psychiatric examination was later conducted. It shows, on the contrary, that Fredrik did not suffer from any such serious mental disorder at the time the crime was committed, which means he can be sentenced to prison.

Previously without a criminal record

In addition to the confession, there is also technical evidence linking Fredrik to the murder and preparations. Following the legal scandal involving Thomas Quick, who confessed to a series of murders he did not commit, the courts are extremely cautious about convicting anyone of murder based solely on a confession.

Fredrik has not been previously convicted of any crimes. He is remanded in custody until the trial in Jönköping District Court, which begins on January 8 and is expected to last for three days.