The Old Country Newsletter – The Infamous Knutby Case Reopened?

New Forensic Review Reopens Doubts in the Knutby Murder Case

Two decades after the infamous Knutby killings shocked Sweden, a new investigation suggests the woman long blamed for the murder may not have acted alone—or may not have been the killer at all.

New reporting from Aftonbladet’s 200 sekunder is stirring fresh controversy in one of Sweden’s most notorious criminal cases. According to the program, several of the country’s top forensic experts now say key elements of the original investigation into the 2004 murder of Alexandra Fossmo were mishandled or simply wrong. Their review points to additional bullet holes, conflicting trajectories, missing documentation, and even forensic evidence suggesting Alexandra may already have been dead when the au pair, Sara Svensson, fired the shots she admitted to.

Former national crime scene investigator Sonny Björk says forensic photos not presented in court show at least five bullet impacts, not the three the case was built around. He also argues that bullet angles contradict Svensson’s account of standing to the left side of the bed when she shot. One hole appears to originate from the right side—impossible under her version of events. “It opens the question of an alternative perpetrator who may have shot Alexandra before Sara arrived,” Björk tells the program.

Professor of forensic medicine Anders Eriksson goes further, claiming the lack of bleeding in one gunshot wound indicates Alexandra was already dead when that bullet struck. If true, it would fundamentally challenge the timeline that led to Svensson’s conviction for murder and attempted murder.

Crucially, the new findings revisit a case where it was never believed Sara Svensson acted alone. Her pastor and Alexandra’s husband, Helge Fossmo, was convicted of instigating both the murder and a related attempted murder. He manipulated Svensson through spiritual and psychological pressure, directing her actions through months of text messages and “prophetic” instructions. That Helge played a central role has never been in dispute; what the new forensic review raises is whether his involvement was even more direct than previously established—or whether a third party beyond Helge and Sara may also have been present or active in the events leading to Alexandra’s death.

Neither prosecutors nor police officials have commented on the findings. For now, the new analysis adds another twist to a case defined by secrecy, manipulation, and a religious sect whose internal dynamics shocked the nation—leaving open the possibility that the full truth of Knutby is still unresolved.

Update: High-profile defense attorney Johan Eriksson has taken on Svensson’s case and says he will seek a retrial, calling the findings “completely unreasonable” and arguing that “you can’t kill someone who is already dead.” Prosecutor Elin Blank, who led the original investigation, has re-examined the materials but maintains that the information isn’t new and was presented to the court at the time. Meanwhile, criminologist Leif GW Persson calls the investigative lapses “absolutely jaw-dropping.” Whether the case will be reopened now rests with the Supreme Court.

Poland has announced plans to buy three Swedish A26 submarines from Saab—a rare, major export for Sweden’s defense industry and a move analysts say could shift the balance of deterrence in the Baltic Sea.

Poland’s government confirmed that it has chosen Saab’s A26 model, a next-generation submarine already under construction for the Swedish Navy. The vessels will be built primarily at the historic Kockums shipyard in Karlskrona, with some involvement from Polish industry. Though the contract isn’t signed yet, officials on both sides are calling the decision a milestone. Saab CEO Micael Johansson says it’s the company’s biggest breakthrough since taking over the submarine program from Germany in 2014, and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the choice as proof that Swedish defense manufacturing “stands strong on the world stage.”

Poland’s vice-prime minister puts the value of the deal at roughly 26 billion SEK, making it not just a symbolic partnership but a long-term industrial and military commitment. For Sweden, the purchase means shared development costs, shared logistics, and a powerful strategic partner across the Baltic – something the Swedish submarine service has lacked for years. Local impact will be significant too: Kockums expects major growth, and the Swedish Navy gains interoperability with a neighbor that faces similar security concerns.

Defense analysts say the deeper importance lies beneath the surface. Literally. More A26-class subs operating in the Baltic increases NATO’s ability to stay unpredictable, a key factor in deterring Russian naval activity. Or as one Swedish security reporter put it: the harder it is for Russia to guess where allied submarines are, the less likely they are to start something.