It was a November evening that a shooter fired several shots at a 22-year-old man, previously known to the police, in central Nyfors in Eskilstuna. The crime happened in front of the eyes of people who were nearby.
Became a cold case
The 22-year-old died at the scene and despite several findings, such as DNA on the murder weapon and a pair of gloves, the police are unable to connect the tracks to a perpetrator.
Criminal networks in Eskilstuna
The investigator: Crown witness has been decisive for the prosecution after the fatal shooting in Nyfors
23-year-old accused of five-year-old shooting death in Eskilstuna: “DNA technology has moved forward”
The case became a so-called “cold case”.
New twist
But the case took a new turn in the fall of 2023. The police were able to resume the preliminary investigation when a DNA match was found on a pair of gloves thanks to new technology from Holland and a witness came forward.
The witness who came forward – and who was decisive for a charge against the 23-year-old to be brought in March 2024 – is a so-called crown witness. He received a reduced sentence for the tunnel murder in Stockholm and in exchange he provided information to the police about the murder in Nyfors. According to the preliminary investigation, he himself was there when it happened.
Doubt the evidence
But despite technical evidence and a statement from the witness, the Eskilstuna district court acquitted the 23-year-old today of murder and aggravated weapons offences.
According to the district court, the witness information is uncertain and so are the DNA traces.
The 23-year-old was already released from custody on May 3 and has denied any crime the whole time.
The article is updated.
In the clip below, police officer Yakup Irak explains why the crown witness was crucial in the murder investigation.
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Hear Yakup Irak tell why the crown witness was crucial to the success of the murder investigation. Photo: Aymen Mussa/SVT