Murdered Disabled 80-Year-Old with 48 Stab Wounds During Burglary – Now the Killer is Dead Himself

The day after the district court determined that he was guilty of the brutal murder of an 80-year-old man in Skivarp, the 23-year-old perpetrator was found dead in custody. Thus, the legal proceedings end without any sentence ever being carried out.

It was during the night between September 9 and 10, 2025, that an 80-year-old man was attacked and killed in his home on Ramsbovägen in Skivarp, Skurup municipality. The man had activated his emergency alarm, but when home care staff arrived, he was found severely injured on the floor. He later died in hospital.

The investigation showed that the perpetrator, 23-year-old Gustav Emil Hansson, had no personal connection to the victim. According to the indictment, he entered the home in search of narcotics and medication. The choice of residence was judged to be almost random, but the prosecutor pointed out that the now deceased perpetrator had previously been in the same home during a burglary in 2023, when controlled drugs were stolen.

Friends and relatives of the 80-year-old have consistently described him as a quiet and withdrawn person with no known conflicts. He lived a calm life, was severely physically disabled, and had home care assistance.

At least 48 stab wounds

The autopsy revealed that the 80-year-old was subjected to extreme violence – at least 48 wounds. According to the forensic pathologist, he sustained a large number of knife wounds to, among other parts, the neck, head, and torso. In court, the prosecutor described how the victim was left defenseless and severely tormented on the floor of his home.

The forensic investigation shows that the attack took place in the hallway or just inside the front door. The bloodstains indicate a swift and surprising assault in a confined space, where the 80-year-old had no chance to escape.

In the hallway stood the walker that the man used daily. Bloody contact traces were secured on the lower part of the walker. According to forensic experts, this suggests that the man, already severely injured and bleeding, tried to move or support himself on the walker during the attack – a sign of a desperate attempt to get away or stay upright.

The investigation also shows how Gustav moved in blood after the attack. He stepped in liquid blood in the hallway, walked further into the residence, and then returned through the hallway on his way out. On the porch, two clear bloody shoeprints were left – prints that were later matched to shoes found in Gustav’s home.

Surveillance footage as key evidence

Surveillance footage from several addresses in Skivarp shows how Gustav moved during the murder night. Cameras captured him both leaving his home and later returning, dressed in dark clothes and carrying a shoulder bag. The footage helped to establish the timeline before and after the murder and became an important part of the evidence.

One of the surveillance cameras also captured Gustav traveling through the community on an electric scooter late in the evening. The film shows him losing balance and stepping off the vehicle, before shortly after continuing on. The prosecutor pointed to this as an example of how the perpetrator quickly left the area after the crime.

When Gustav later returned to his home, the footage shows him changing clothes, handling laundry, and moving restlessly between rooms during the night. At one point, a bottle of hand sanitizer is also visible in the residence – a detail that investigators noted in light of what later emerged during the preliminary investigation.

Long-term substance abuse and psychiatric problems

Several people close to Gustav describe him as deeply affected by long-term substance abuse. According to his sister, he began using drugs as early as age 10–11 and in recent years had abused a variety of substances, often in combination with alcohol. She describes how Gustav was sometimes upbeat and happy, and on other days heavily affected, forgetful, and paranoid.

Others close to him also testify to a clearly unstable mental state. Several suspect neuropsychiatric disorders like ADHD or autism, but no full assessment was ever done. Meanwhile, Gustav is described as easily triggered, with strong mood swings and recurrent conflicts in close relationships.

In the days after the murder, the family noticed Gustav’s behavior. According to his sister, he was stressed and anxious, changed clothes repeatedly, and washed both clothes and shoes. On one occasion, he asked several times if someone had taken a knife that had been in the dishwasher – a detail that was later highlighted in the investigation.

Died in custody – case closed

On Thursday, Ystad District Court determined that Gustav was guilty of murder, but no sentence was ever handed down. Instead, he was to undergo a forensic psychiatric evaluation before a sentence could be announced.

During the night before Friday, Gustav was found dead in his cell in the custody facility in Ystad. The Prison and Probation Service has confirmed the death, and police have initiated an investigation, which always happens when someone dies in custody.

– This is a very tragic story from start to finish, said prosecutor Kristina Wedelsbäck.

Because of the death, the case will now be dismissed, even though the district court already found Gustav guilty of the crime.

Substance abuse and paranoia

In interrogations, Gustav himself describes extensive substance abuse and deteriorating mental health. He states that he uses drugs to be able to function socially and dampen his anxiety.

– I need to take something because otherwise I talk too much, he said in an interrogation.

Asked how he was affected by various substances, he answered in the third person:

– When Gustav takes coke, he either becomes paranoid or feels he has to come up with something fun to do.

Gustav denies in interrogations that he used drugs daily, but admits that urine samples would not be negative and states he used, among other things, amphetamines, cocaine, cannabis, and alcohol in the period before his arrest.

However, it has not been possible to confirm or rule out whether he was under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol at the time of the murder itself. The forensic chemical analyses refer to Gustav’s condition at the time of his arrest two days later.

A verdict without penalty

Gustav has denied the murder throughout the process but admitted in interrogations that he was mentally very unwell and living in chaotic circumstances. He had no employment, had debts, and had long struggled with addiction and unstable housing, according to personal records.

Now, one of the most noted violent crimes in southeastern Skåne in recent years ends without any sentence being served. The relatives of the murdered 80-year-old are left with a conviction – but without legal consequences.