Retired Couple Murdered in Their Home – Yet Another Brutal Act Linked to Serious Mental Illness

A 58-year-old man has been charged with the high-profile double murder of retirees Anders and Lena Nordahl in Klippan. According to the prosecutor, it was an apparently unprovoked and extremely brutal act of violence. The investigation also paints a picture of a man with long-standing psychological problems – a case that once again highlights shortcomings in Sweden’s psychiatric care and oversight.

On Friday, charges were brought at Helsingborg District Court against 58-year-old Eddie Bager, suspected of murdering Anders Nordahl, 75, and his wife Lena Nordahl, 70, in their home in Klippan. The couple were found dead on May 9, 2025, after relatives raised the alarm when they couldn’t be reached.

The prosecutor states that the murders occurred during the night between May 3 and 4, and that the act appears impulsive, without a known motive or connection between perpetrator and victims. A fire extinguisher found bloodied in the home is cited in the indictment as the murder weapon.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the investigation has not found evidence of other perpetrators. Surveillance footage, forensic evidence, and movement patterns instead point unequivocally to the accused man.

Brutal Attack in the Victims’ Own Home

According to the preliminary investigation obtained by Samnytt, the couple were subjected to severe violence to the head. The crime scene investigation showed extensive traces of blood and signs of a struggle inside the residence. Nothing suggests the act was preceded by any conflict—on the contrary, the prosecutor describes it as random and unprovoked.

Eddie Bager was arrested just over a week after the bodies were found and has since been in custody. During the investigation, he has not admitted to the crime, but he has also not clearly denied it. Instead, he has stated that he has no memory of the night of the murders.

Extensive Psychological Issues

The preliminary investigation file contains extensive material on the accused’s mental health. Medical records from both regional psychiatry and the prison service show the man had long-term contact with psychiatric services, including for neuropsychiatric difficulties, anxiety issues, and recurring crises.

A house search at Eddie Bager’s home revealed severe misery. Image: Police.

He has been prescribed several psychotropic medications, including tranquilizers and sleeping pills, and there are notes about poor adherence to treatment and periods of deteriorating condition. Around the time of the murders, there is also information about alcohol use in combination with medication – a combination that, according to experts, can increase impulsivity and aggression. Despite this, the man was living without compulsory care in the wider community.

Long Criminal History

The investigation also shows that the man appears in older police cases and court rulings. As early as the 1990s and 2000s, he was reported for, among other things, vandalism, assault, and other public order offenses. He has also been convicted on a couple of occasions, mainly for vandalism.

According to the prosecutor, it is only with the double murder in Klippan that the violence escalated to an extreme level. But the warning signs had been present for a long time.

Lost Job – Isolation Before the Crime

Just days before the murders, the man lost his job at an industrial company in northwestern Skåne. The investigation describes how, shortly afterward, he wandered aimlessly in the area, attended a private party where he behaved strangely, and was therefore asked to leave.

The prosecution argues that, despite this, he acted rationally both before and after the crime. This goes against his own claim of complete memory loss.

Part of a Larger Pattern

The double murder in Klippan is not an isolated case. Over the past year, several high-profile violent crimes have been committed by individuals with serious mental illness, including in Boden and Rönninge.

The cases have reignited a dormant debate about psychiatric resources, compulsory care legislation, and society’s inability to identify and confine individuals deemed dangerous—before tragedy strikes.

In the Klippan case, the same questions now arise: how could a man with documented psychiatric problems, long-term contact with care, and increasing instability commit such a brutal double murder without any protective measures being put in place?

Trial Awaits

The accused faces a possible life sentence if convicted. The trial is expected to be lengthy and will include forensic psychiatric assessments and an in-depth review of the man’s mental state at the time of the crime.