Liam, 18, was shot dead outside his school in April.
Now the 17-year-old boy who is suspected of involvement in the murder has been released.
– The suspect can go home, he can see his friends, he can see his mother. While my son will never get to do it again, says Liam’s mother.
At the family’s green, well-mown garden outside Eskilstuna, a trampoline and a basketball hoop are set up.
There are clear traces of children in the villa. Toys, game consoles and diapers for the youngest in the family.
And on the refrigerator door is a note with three dates written on it: Wednesday 4/5, Monday 4/17, Wednesday 4/26.
Those were the dates that 18-year-old Liam was supposed to practice drive.
But Liam never made it to the last two classes. On April 6, in the afternoon, he was shot dead outside his school in Eskilstuna.
Maundy Thursday, April 6, was the day before the Easter break and Liam’s father had left work early to spend time with the family.
On the way home, he called Liam and talked for a while, before going with Liam’s mother to pick up the youngest children from preschool.
– I don’t know why we went to preschool together that particular day. I don’t usually come along and pick them up, but that day I did, says Liam’s father.
Then Liam’s mom got a call on her phone. It was Liam’s girlfriend who told him that he had been shot in the school parking lot.
– We just screamed. I drove as fast as I could to school. When we arrived there were cordons and police everywhere, says Liam’s father.
Contacted social services
On a chest of drawers by the large kitchen table are photographs, candles and a vase of white flowers. The photos depict Liam and his girlfriend.
– He was a calm person, he was often at home studying or playing video games. In the summers and sometimes on weekends, he worked. Last year I started nagging him that he should go out and meet friends, instead of sitting at home, says Liam’s father.
Last summer, Liam also started spending more time with friends. He was often out, although he rarely came home late.
Until one day the parents got a call from the police.
– They said they had seen Liam with some people who appeared in criminal circles. Because they had not seen Liam in those circles before, they contacted us, says Liam’s mother.
Some of the people were friends that Liam had grown up with.
– We also contacted social services to see what we could do. We got worried and didn’t want him to get hurt. We wanted to do what we could for him and asked them for help and advice, she continues.
Arrested for weapons offences
Just a few weeks later, Liam was arrested on suspicion of shooting at a gate in Eskilstuna.
During the three months he was in custody, he managed to turn 18.
He was then convicted of aggravated weapons offense and the penalty was juvenile supervision.
The verdict states that Liam, along with other unknown people, must have handled the weapon on the day the shooting took place. However, the weapon has not been recovered.
– After the verdict, we were just happy to have him home again, but Liam said he was innocent and that he wanted to appeal the verdict, says Liam’s mother.
Appealed to the Court of Appeal
His father says Liam was on his way home to his girlfriend when the shooting Liam was suspected of happened.
– Before that he had sat on a bus. Only a few minutes had passed between Liam sitting on the bus and his arrest. How would he manage to shoot at a goal in that time? says the father.
The family decided to help Liam appeal the verdict to the Court of Appeal. After Liam’s death, they have chosen to continue the appeal together with Liam’s lawyer. It has not yet been taken up in the Court of Appeal.
– We want him to get compensation. We’re both convinced that he would never have been murdered if it hadn’t been for that sentence, if his name hadn’t been there, says Liam’s mother.
Apart from the conviction for serious weapons offences, Liam does not appear in any investigations.
Wanted to be a lawyer
After the Christmas break, Liam started school again – even though he had missed a large part of the autumn term and would have to repeat the third grade.
– After he was released from custody, he was only at home. He continued to go to school, even though he didn’t need to at the time. During his time in custody, he became aware of the legal profession. He had decided that he would study law and become a lawyer, says Liam’s father.
After that, Liam started practice driving and the hope was to get his driving license before the summer. The family had also started looking at a car for him.
In his room upstairs, the driver’s license books are still out there. In the window is a controller for a video game and on the bookshelf two rabbits in chocolate.
Liam died the day before the Easter break.
Suspect released from custody
At the beginning of the summer, a 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting the murder of Liam – the only one so far who stands as a suspect in the crime.
Because he is not of legal age, he was released from custody last week – while the suspicions against him remain.
– The suspect can go home, he can see his friends, he can see his mother. While my son will never get to do it again, says Liam’s mother.
Around Liam’s grave in the cemetery, which is a few blocks from the family’s house, is a sea of colorful bouquets of flowers. The parents say they change the flowers every three or four days now.
– The first days after his death, I couldn’t even cry. I was just in shock, says Liam’s father.
– People have heard that grief gets easier with time, but I wonder if it really does. I think I will always feel the same sadness, he continues.
Visits the grave daily
He says that one of the younger children recently drew a picture of the family at preschool.
– She showed it to her teacher. It depicted mom and dad crying. She is only four years old, but it shows how much this has affected her. We are all sad and miss him, he says.
At least twice a day, but often more, they go to the cemetery to visit their son.
– You think that this should never happen to you, but it has happened to us. Those who have done this have not only taken Liam’s life, they have taken our whole family, says Liam’s mother.
Both hope that whoever took their son’s life will be found and brought to justice – although both have low hopes.
– I’m afraid that they will never catch them, that this will become a cold case that will never be solved, says Liam’s father.