Leif GW Persson about the taxi murder

This week, the verdict was handed down after the so-called taxi murder in the Hjälstaviken nature reserve outside Enköping. The Uppsala district court convicted the five teenagers of murder and aiding and abetting murder. The eldest, who was 18 when the crime was committed, is sentenced to life imprisonment, the others receive closed youth care.

Four young brothers and a 16-year-old girl are sentenced for the taxi murder last spring when a 26-year-old taxi driver was tricked out to a nature reserve in Enköping and was hanged from a tree.

The youngest of the brothers and the now 16-year-old girl is sentenced to three years and six months in closed youth care for aiding and abetting murder. The two other brothers who were also minors at the time of the crime received four years of closed youth care for murder. And the oldest brother, who was 18 when the man was hanged, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Uppsala district court.

The evidence that brings down the youth

All deny any crime and there are no witnesses to the incident. Despite that, the district court believes that it is beyond reasonable doubt that all the defendants are guilty. Something that GW agrees with.

– It is a combination of circumstances that bring them down. They have exchanged messages about things they cannot be expected to know at the time. They can be linked to the scene of the crime and technically to the vehicle the victim was driving and the rope used to hang him.

All in all, the evidence is solid and thus GW believes that the verdict will stand in the Court of Appeal – as he is sure that they will appeal.

Receives the law’s most severe punishment

The oldest brother was 18 at the time of the crime and is sentenced to life imprisonment. If he had been a few months younger, he would instead have gotten away with four years of closed youth care, Leif believes.

– Personally, I think it is deeply unfortunate that 18-year-olds are sentenced to life imprisonment. He will be inside for pretty much his entire active adult life and will be almost 40 years old when he comes out.

Hear Leif GW Persson tell why he is concerned about the new police chief duo Petra Lundh and Stefan Hector.