Life in prison or acquittal? On Wednesday, the final arguments in the case of the murder in Malå on the night of February 12-13 were heard at the Court of Appeal. At 7 p.m. the verdict was announced: the mother and the son will remain in custody, which clearly points to a guilty verdict. The 50-year-old man, on the other hand, was released, which is a sign that he will probably not be convicted of murder. But he may be convicted of aiding and abetting a criminal.
The defendants arrived at the Umeå Court of Appeal in the morning, transported by the prison service. They included the four Malå residents accused of involvement in the murder, as well as a teenage boy who has been placed in a residential home.
The courtroom, bathed in September sunlight, provided a striking backdrop to the grim case that had shocked the little town of Malå. The day marked the culmination of an appeal that had become a part of one of the region's most high-profile legal dramas.
In closing arguments, the teenager sought a lighter sentence for aggravated assault, while the mother and son sought acquittal on the murder charge. The 50-year-old vehemently denied involvement and sought a full acquittal.
Prosecutor Andreas Nyberg and the plaintiff's counsel, Linda Sundlöf, were in agreement during the appellate court hearing: the four accused individuals should be convicted of murder, and for everyone except the teenage boy, the penalty should be the harshest punishment under the law: life imprisonment.
Prosecutor Andreas Nyberg, on the other hand, pushed for murder convictions for all four, with all but the teenager facing the possibility of life imprisonment - the ultimate penalty. Nyberg presented technical evidence, including traces of the victim's blood, a knife with DNA on it, and alleged evidence tampering.
Attorney Fredrik Elveros highlighted a sequence of events that he believes proves that his client, the teenage boy, should only be convicted of aggravated assault and not murder.
The victim's lawyer, Linda Sundlöf, supported the prosecutor's arguments, emphasizing the premeditated nature of the murder. The defense countered, asking for acquittal or lenient sentences.
After deliberation, the appeals court ruled that the mother and son would remain in custody pending the verdict, indicating that the original conviction will be upheld. The 50-year-old man was released, while the teenage boy will remain in the residential home.
Three guilty verdicts for murder, with life imprisonment, and the determination of charges and punishment for the teenager. That was prosecutor Andreas Nyberg's plea in the closing arguments. Summarizing the case of the 40-year-old woman, he said: "The investigation shows that she was instrumental in this murder, that she was present, that she acted before, during, and after, that she was armed with a knife and was masked.
The final verdict, expected on September 27, will determine the fate of these defendants in a case that has captured the attention of the community.