Lisbeth Liljegren, 78, murdered in Uppsala: An act of madness

Lisbeth Liljegren, 78, was found lifeless in a pool of blood next to her overturned walker right by her home in Valsätra in Uppsala.

The time was approximately 1:30 p.m. on December 8 last year and a 29-year-old woman had also left her home minutes earlier. She was supposed to be taken to psychiatry, but for a few minutes unattended, according to the indictment, she walked up to Lisbeth Liljegren, whom she did not know before, and assaulted her completely unprovoked. When Lisbeth Liljegren was down, a large number of kicks were handed out.

The violence was so brutal that the hospital announced the death shortly afterwards.

One of Lisbeth Liljegren’s three daughters, Anita Blomqvist, 57, was at home and became the first relative to be informed of the murder.

– I live ten minutes’ walk from my mother. Around 3 p.m., two civil police officers rang the doorbell. They asked if they could come in, asked me to sit down and then tell them what happened. I was completely empty. I couldn’t take in what happened, the shock was too great, says Anita Blomqvist.

“The whole world collapsed”

The other daughter Camilla Ek, 52, had recently hung up on a mobile call with her mother when the next call was from the police and contained a death notice.

– I thought it’s not true, it’s not true, I kept thinking it’s not true. It’s someone else, it’s someone else, it’s not mother, says Camilla Ek.

– I spoke to her shortly before. I thought it’s not possible that it can happen so fast. When I looked at my call list on the phone, it said I had hung up at 1:11 p.m.

Carina Cedergren, 59, is the third daughter. She works at a preschool and was there when the shock was announced over the phone.

– I was going out with the children. The police called and he asks me to step away a bit, because he asked if I’m at my work. Yes, I said. And then I get this message and break down at work, she says.

– And then I have the children who stand and look at me and think about why Carina was sad. It was the worst thing I’ve ever been through. It was like the whole world came crashing down, I might say.

Would buy coffee from the store

All three daughters had almost daily contact with Lisbeth Liljegren.

– We had spoken twice that day. First thing in the morning after I had been to the doctor. Mother told me that she had been to Jysk and bought a bedspread. Then we talked about everything possible. She was so happy that it would be cheaper to go to Uppsala by train, says Camilla Ek.

When Camilla Ek ended the conversation with her mother, which became the last conversation, Lisbeth Liljegren was going to the store because she received an offer on her mobile phone.

– Mother said she was going out to buy coffee. Because she had been helped to download an app by some really nice girl in the store, and then she was so happy. And then we hung up.

– What I’m thinking about is that if I had talked to her a little longer… then maybe it wouldn’t have happened.

When Camilla Ek talks about Lisbeth Liljegren, almost three months after the beating to death, she still has a hard time accepting that her mother is no longer around.

– It is so terrible. It is so unimaginably horrible. That some mentally ill person takes my mother’s life. She had joint problems but she had a healthy heart and good tests. She would have lived for at least another ten years, I am absolutely convinced of that. She was so happy in life, and that someone else will come and take it. It is unimaginable. I never thought it would happen, half past two on a Friday afternoon. It cannot be taken in.

“She was the best mother in the world”

Carina Cedergren is also in despair and finds it difficult to understand why an unknown person, without reason, chose to violently attack her mother.

– What would you want my mother to do? Had she (the defendant) gone after a grown man who could fight back… But she goes after a 78-year-old woman with a walker who didn’t stand a chance. Why? Why? Why?

– The only thing I hope for is that it still went quickly. That she didn’t have time to think too much. That it was so fast that she might lose consciousness.

Anita Blomqvist adds:

– You constantly dream nightmares when you sleep. Mom constantly comes to mind, what happened to her. You are sad, angry, despairing. You feel bad that mother was so brutally murdered.

The three daughters describe Lisbeth Liljegren as caring, a person who always stood up and was there – for everyone.

– World’s best mom. She was single with us. She kind of did so much. When we were little, she joined us in playing brännball. She cared so much about the mental health of young people and was very committed and thought about the children who were worried and stressed at school. She was simply the best. And great, says Camilla Ek.

The Daughter: A scary feature film

The void and the hole left by Lisbeth Liljegren is large, the family says. She had seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

– And then she would have her fourth great-grandchild. She was so damn happy and was just waiting for it to be April so she would have her fourth great-grandchild. But she never gets to experience that, says Carina Cedergren.

Those that Lisbeth Liljegren leaves behind are strongly critical of psychiatric care, which the 29-year-old woman accused of murder was well known to.

– There must be a change. It cannot continue to be the case that they close down mental health care. Put money and resources into things that are important, says Camilla Ek.

Big sister Carina Cedergren says:

– What I was told is that the police have given a lot of warning bells about this girl.
What was she doing outside? I was beginning to think they let her out to save money. They must listen to our police officers. They warn and warn and warn and then they are not listened to.

The 29-year-old woman accused of murder is now undergoing a forensic psychiatric examination and answers are expected at the end of March. After that, the trial will continue.

– I thought this was a scary feature film, but it wasn’t, says Carina Cedergren.