'Serial murderer' charged in gay killing

A 35-year-old man thought to be a serial murderer was indicted on Tuesday, suspected of murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery, and theft.

• Man charged with brutal gay hate attacks (11 Jan 08)
• Police fear gay attacker may have other victims (5 Jan 08)

All of the suspect’s victims were gay men.

The man is suspected of having killed a 43-year-old man in the victim’s apartment in the Stockholm suburb of Solna on December 28th of last year, and on the previous day of having robbed and attempted to kill a 44-year-old man on Södermalm in Stockholm.

In addition, the 35-year-old is suspected having robbed a man in an apartment on Södermalm on December 9th and for having robbed yet another man on December 15th in Midsommarkransen south of Stockholm.

“All the victims were, or are, homosexual. He has taken advantage of their sexual preferences and violated them,” said public prosecutor Fredrik Ingblad.

The 35-year-old made contact with the men through different internet chat sites. He gave the impression of wanting to have sex with them, whereupon it was decided he should meet the victims in their apartments.

When the men finally met, the appointments quickly descended into brutal violence.

The December 28th Solna rendezvous ended with the apartment owner dead from knife wounds.

During the attempted murder on Södermalm the day before, the victim received a number of threats and stab wounds, including one on the sole of his foot as he lay naked in bed with his hand tied behind his back.

Before the 35-year-old left the apartment he stole the victim’s wallet, which held 900 kronor ($150).

Nearly the same scene played out during the robbery of another man on Södermalm on December 9th. That time, the 35-year-old took the victim’s computer, several bottles of alcohol, and some jewelry.

Ingblad views each of the crimes as a hate crime committed with the intention of violating the victims on account of their sexual orientation.

“The crimes are very serious. He’s victimized vulnerable people. He didn’t believe they would dare report him because of their sexual orientation and because they met on the internet. This makes the crimes extra serious,” Ingblad told the TT news agency.

He added that the 35-year-old had earlier been sentenced for similar crimes and was serving his sentence until January 2007.

The man denies the murder and attempted murder, but confesses totally or partially to circumstances surrounding the three robberies.

He has also been informed that he is suspected of the murder of a woman in Eslöv in southern Sweden in 2000 and may soon be indicted in that case as well.