Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘The Breakthrough’ chronicling the second-largest police investigation in Swedish history, we get a true insight into the double homicide that left the nation perplexed for 16 years. The victims in this Lisa Siwe directorial were carefully named Adnan Abbas and Gunilla Pairson, but they were actually 8-year-old Mohammed Ammoouri and 56-year-old Anna-Lena Svensson. This change from fact to fiction for the drama was most likely not only to ensure full creative license but also to protect the privacy of those involved.
Mohammed Ammoouri and Anna-Lena Svensson Were Killed in Daylight
At the age of 8, Mohammed was truly just learning the ways of the world thanks to his loving and supportive parents in the wonderous city of Linköping in southern Sweden. On the flip side, 56-year-old Anna-Lena was living her best life alongside her husband as empty nesters, all the while also embracing her profession as a language educator for immigrants. In other words, these two individuals had no connection with each other apart from the fact that they were innocent beings just wittingly pr unwittingly doing their part in society.
Therefore, of course, the morning of October 9, 2004, left all of Sweden shattered as the young boy was found stabbed to death in an open street around Åsgatan. Since it was around &:50 am at the time, it was evident he had been walking to school when he was suddenly attacked. Not more than 25 feet from him lay a severely injured Anna-Lena, who had witnessed the entire ordeal and ended up getting attacked in return when she tried to help him.
This occurred not more than a block from Anna-Lena’s residence, and there was another eyewitness who saw the attacker stab her, but to absolutely no avail. By the time the eyewitness got over their shock and dialed the authorities, it was too late. The attacker had fled, the young boy had had, and the older woman was fighting for he life. Unfortunately, she, too, died of her injuries in the hospital not long after. That’s when this attack went from an assault to a murder, as well as attempted murder to double homicide.
Despite Evidence, Mohammed Ammoouri and Anna-Lena Svensson’s Killer Was Caught 16 Years Later
From the moment this case first became known, investigators were indeed certain this would be a rather open-and-shut matter owing to all the evidence. It turns out the perpetrator had discarded his murder weapon – a butterfly knife – not far from the scene, right alongside his small black beanie and his DNA Evidence. He had actually cut his right hand in the attack, resulting in him bleeding all over the weapon, his beanie, and the nearby leaves when he was trying to flee.
But alas, things didn’t pan for the authorities despite their best efforts. Wheather it be calling a criminal profiler, consulting a hypnosis specialist to help the eyewitness with the face of the killer, or tracking local public transport to analyze everything. Then, with the analysis, the killer was in the age range of 15 to 30, was a loner, and like had a few mental health issues; they had all possible related individuals come in for a voluntary swab test. By this point, there had already been an arrest in the matter, only for him to be let go because there was no DNA match and he didn’t fit the profile.
There were several theories as to why someone would target an 8-year-old and a 56-year-old, including hate crimes or something to do with the former’s religion, but nothing popped up. That is, until 2019, when Sweden lifted the ban they had on authorities about using public databases for their information. Then came an expert genealogist, who actually managed to find the killer following a long 16 years within mere weeks thanks to genetic testing. The killer was ultimately identified as Daniel Nyqvist, following which he was arrested on June 9, 2020.
Daniel Nyqvist Was Found Guilty of His Offenses in 2020
The day 37-year-old Daniel was arrested, he almost immediately confessed to the double homicide by stating the voices in his head had told him to kill so as to achieve deep peace. According to reports, he hadn’t changed much since the killing 16 years prior – he was still reclusive, had a myriad of health troubles, and had little to no empathy, but it fits them well.
In the end, with the assertion from medical experts that he had severe physiological linens, the kind he had likely had for a couple of decades, he was convicted and ordered to step into indefinite psychiatric care. He was also ordered to pay the family of his 8-year-old victim, Mohammed Ammoouri’s family, 350,000 (Swedish Krona), along with 1.4 million to at least patrol traffic coming from her side.
Read More: Per Skogkvist: Is He Based on a Real Genealogist? Where is He Now?
