A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the 2005 double murder in Brattås, Sweden, according to reports from Expressen and SVT Mittnytt. The suspect, who was previously unknown to police, was apprehended on Wednesday and is now being sought for detention.
The victims, Gerd Wiklund and Tor Öberg, were found dead on a farm just outside Härnösand on June 2, 2005. The case has long been one of Sweden's most high-profile cold cases.
the man's DNA has been compared with DNA from the crime scene and produced a positive match, strengthening suspicions against him
According to Expressen, the breakthrough in the investigation came last year when a new law made DNA-based genealogy research possible in murder investigations. DNA evidence secured at the crime scene in 2005 could not be linked to anyone at the time, but through DNA genealogy, investigators were able to connect the evidence to the 45-year-old suspect.
Senior prosecutor Hanna Flordal stated in a press release that the man's DNA has been compared with DNA from the crime scene and produced a positive match, strengthening suspicions against him. The suspect's defense attorney, Johan Lavås, declined to comment on the case.
declined to comment on the case
The man lived in Härnösand at the time of the murders, just minutes from the crime scene in Brattås, and remained there for several years before moving approximately 50 miles away. According to Expressen, he is unmarried, has no children, and has no previous criminal record.
A detention hearing is scheduled for Friday at Ångermanland District Court, where prosecutors will seek to have the man held in custody.