Aahana Swrup
‘The Breakthrough,’ or ‘Genombrottet’ as it’s originally known, is a Swedish crime drama show that revolves around a tragic double homicide that goes unsolved for sixteen years. After two unrelated residents of Linköping—Adnan and Gunilla—fall victim to an elusive killer, Detective John Sundin helms the investigation into the murders. However, what should have been an easy solve—with an eyewitness and DNA samples on the scene—ends up casting a shadow on the city as it overtakes John’s life for 16 years without any concrete leads. That is until John decides to team up with Per Skogkvist, a genealogical researcher whose groundbreaking approach to DNA tracking may be just what the detective needs to crack the case.
The Netflix show delves into the traumatic psychology of the people affected by the devastating murders, shining a particular light on the families of the victims and the police officers who poured over the case for more than a decade. The same, paired with the narrative’s authentic depiction of Per’s instrumental contribution to the investigation, strengthens the show’s connections to reality.
The Breakthrough is Based on a True Crime Book
‘The Breakthrough’ charts a true crime-inspired story loosely based on the nonfiction book, ‘Genombrottet: Så Löste Släktforskaren Dubbelmordet i Linköping,’ also known as ‘The Breakthrough: How the Genealogist Solved the Double Murder in Linköping.’ Two Swedish authors, Journalist Anna Bodin & Genealogist Peter Sjölund, penned the book, which revolves around the October 2004 murders that took place in Linköping. At the time, an 8-year-old boy, Mohamad Ammouri, and a 56-year-old teacher, Anna-Lena Svensson, fell victim to a lethal attack in the Åsgatan area that led to their unfortunate deaths.
Despite rigorous police investigations, the killer in this case remained at large for around 16 years. However, things took a turn in 2020 after the authorities teamed up with Peter Sjölund, a leading voice in Sweden’s DNA genealogy sector. Through his genealogical research technology, which involved creating a family tree for the perpetrator and combing through databases, Sjölund was able to track down the killer, Daniel Nyqvist, in the span of five weeks. As such, his contribution to the investigation ended up being invaluable as it finally closed a tragic 16-year-long case.
Furthermore, it also marked the first time such technology was used for criminal investigations in Sweden and Europe’s overall history. Therefore, Bodin and Sjölund’s literary rehashing of the events remains as true to reality as possible, detailing the genealogist’s crucial role in the murder case. As such, screenwriter Oskar Söderlund employed the book as the base source of inspiration to ensure that his fictional recreation of the details and characters involved in the case remains true to reality.
The Breakthrough Dramatizes Sweden’s Second-Largest Police Investigation
After Mohamad Ammouri and Anna-Lena Svensson’s murders, the Linköping police force launched a rigorous murder investigation to catch the killer. Initially, a few pieces of evidence, including the murder weapon, a cap that belonged to the perpetrator, and eyewitness accounts of the killer, emerged. Moreover, the authorities even reached out to the FBI for aid. Yet, no substantial headway could be made into the case. As the years passed, some other leads turned up, namely two sketches. Nonetheless, it wasn’t until 2020, after Peter Sjölund came on board, that an arrest was finally made. Reportedly, a tip from January of the same year made by a childhood friend also put Daniel Nyqvist on the police’s radar.
In the end, the authorities arrested Nyqvist—whose DNA was a 100% match to the perpetrator’s—on June 9, 2020. He confessed to the murders of both Mohamad Ammouri and Anna-Lena Svensson shortly after his arrest. As per reports, Nyqvist—who was 21 at the time of the murders—claims to have committed the horrifying acts due to obsessive thoughts in his head about killing. He is also believed to have chosen his victims at random. On October 1, 2020, the court convicted the then 37-year-old man of the murders.
Since it was concluded that he was acting under the influence of a severe psychological disorder, Nyqvist was reportedly sentenced to psychiatric care with special discharge. He was also required to pay damages of 350 thousand Swedish krona to the Ammouri family and 1.4 million to the state. Therefore, while it is true that ‘The Breakthrough’ remains true to the real-life criminal case, it is also evident that the show departed from reality as necessary. Consequently, despite being a true-story-inspired crime show, the on-screen police investigation isn’t a biographical retelling of the events.
Screenwriter Oskar Söderlund and the rest of the creative team have liberally equipped the creative license as necessary in order to create a compelling and engaging tale. In a discussion about the project, Söderlund said, “It is a terrible trauma that has affected the people and the city of Linköping, and I want to respectfully tell about the attempts to move on from such trauma. In the midst of this tragedy, there are people who refuse to give up, who’re struggling to move on, and whose whole life is marked by what happened.” Thus, the show emerges as a blend between fact and fiction.
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