Man guilty of 'ruthless' Gothenburg killing: court
The 23-year-old man accused of murdering Elin Krantz in September last year was found guilty by the Gothenburg District Court on Wednesday. Before sentencing he will undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
“I am very pleased. I have argued from the beginning that our evidence was conclusive,” prosecutor Stina Lundqvist told local newspaper Göteborgs Posten (GP).
Elin Krantz and her alleged killer were riding the same tram to the Hisingen neighbourhood near Gothenburg in western Sweden in September 2010.
Shortly thereafter Krantz was found raped and murdered in a wooded area not far from the tram stop, according to the investigation.
The 23-year-old man was arrested shortly after the killing. In March he was charged with murder and aggravated rape.
According to the prosecutors, the attack was one of "extreme ruthlessness".
The Local has reported previously on how pictures from the police investigation were leaked to a porn site and later also appeared on the blog of a Sweden Democrat.
The pictures were later removed and the Sweden Democrats confirmed to The Local shortly after that the party would be investigating the matter further.
The 23-year-old, who has been in custody for more than five months, has continually denied committing the crimes.
According to his version, he caught two men in the act raping Krantz, tried to revive her, but was chased away by the perpetrators.
The only thing corroborating his story is a call at 04.47 from the woman’s mobile phone to a friend’s answering service where the voices of two men can be heard along with a woman’s whimpering.
According to daily Aftonbladet, this last life sign from Elin Krantz was accidentally wiped from the machine by her friend. But the prosecution never saw the call as going against their evidence,
“Even if this is a mysterious circumstance, there are alternative explanations, Lundqvist told GP.
The district court can now sentence the man for either a lengthy stint in prison or secure psychiatric care.
The prosecutor wants a life sentence for the murder of Elin Krantz.
“This is the most terrifying death a woman can imagine. And what could be worse than this crime,” she said in her closing speech.
The sentence will be announced when the psychiatric evaluation of the 23-year old has been completed.
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“I am very pleased. I have argued from the beginning that our evidence was conclusive,” prosecutor Stina Lundqvist told local newspaper Göteborgs Posten (GP).
Elin Krantz and her alleged killer were riding the same tram to the Hisingen neighbourhood near Gothenburg in western Sweden in September 2010.
Shortly thereafter Krantz was found raped and murdered in a wooded area not far from the tram stop, according to the investigation.
The 23-year-old man was arrested shortly after the killing. In March he was charged with murder and aggravated rape.
According to the prosecutors, the attack was one of "extreme ruthlessness".
The Local has reported previously on how pictures from the police investigation were leaked to a porn site and later also appeared on the blog of a Sweden Democrat.
The pictures were later removed and the Sweden Democrats confirmed to The Local shortly after that the party would be investigating the matter further.
The 23-year-old, who has been in custody for more than five months, has continually denied committing the crimes.
According to his version, he caught two men in the act raping Krantz, tried to revive her, but was chased away by the perpetrators.
The only thing corroborating his story is a call at 04.47 from the woman’s mobile phone to a friend’s answering service where the voices of two men can be heard along with a woman’s whimpering.
According to daily Aftonbladet, this last life sign from Elin Krantz was accidentally wiped from the machine by her friend. But the prosecution never saw the call as going against their evidence,
“Even if this is a mysterious circumstance, there are alternative explanations, Lundqvist told GP.
The district court can now sentence the man for either a lengthy stint in prison or secure psychiatric care.
The prosecutor wants a life sentence for the murder of Elin Krantz.
“This is the most terrifying death a woman can imagine. And what could be worse than this crime,” she said in her closing speech.
The sentence will be announced when the psychiatric evaluation of the 23-year old has been completed.
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