• Sweden edition

Swedish serial killer granted new trial

Published: 17 Dec 09 10:51 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/23898/20091217/

Convicted Swedish serial murderer Thomas Quick has been granted a new trial for the 1988 killing of a tourist in Dalarna in central Sweden after he recanted his confessions to several killings.

Quick has been convicted in six different trials for the murders of eight people. During police questioning, he has confessed to committing more than 20 murders, which he claims he committed in Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

But in several programmes broadcast last year by Sveriges Television (SVT) journalist Hannes Råstam, Quick has taken back all of his previous confessions.

In April, his lawyers filed a formal request with the Svea Court of Appeal seeking a new trial for a case involving the murder of 24-year-old Yenon Levi, an Israeli tourist who was found dead near the side of a deserted forest road in Dalarna in 1988.

In documents accompanying the petition, Quick’s lawyer Thomas Olsson argued that a number of mistakes took place during the police investigation of Levi’s murder.

“The conviction is based on a confession from a mentally ill and drugged person. In addition, relevant investigative material was withheld from the court,” Olsson told the TT news agency when he filed the petition, which also included the name of another possible culprit in Levi's killing.

There was also information from witnesses that the alternative assailant, who is said to have strong anti-Semitic views, was connected to Levi.

The appeals court said that the new evidence presented by Quick creates doubts about whether he is indeed guilty of the crime for which he has been convicted.

The court went on to say that there are sufficient grounds to try the case once again in order to revisit the question of Quick’s responsibility for the crime and thus granted a retrial.

Quick, who has since changed his name to Sture Bergwall, has been indicated that he will petition for retrials for each of the eight murders for which he’s been convicted.

TT/The Local (news@thelocal.se/08 656 6518)

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13:11 December 17, 2009 by calebian22
Good to know taxes are being well spent. This is one conviction, there are 7 more convictions. Is this mysterious anti-jew alternative assailant responsible for the others too? What a waste of time, created by a bored serial killer with a lot of time on his hands to think of ways to make the Swedish justice system, which apparently got it right for once, jump through hoops.
13:15 December 17, 2009 by Beynch
This is a complete waste of money, time and effort, and as usual has more to do with the pathetic lawyers' self serving interests, and desire for publicity. Why are lawyers always - with few exceptions - such despicable, low, vermin ? Usually nothing more than vultures with law degrees. The world would be better off if we had fewer of these cockroaches spreading their venom, which is more often than not destructive to an organized society. The above story is an illustrative example.
14:28 December 17, 2009 by Mucker
In all fairness calebian22 and beynch, it wouldn't be the first time that a mentally ill person confessed to a murder that they didn't comitt. Look at the Judith Ward case in England

It could well have been police trying to wrap up the case without having to work too hard.

It's not like he will be released if he's acquitted. If he didn't do it, then the police should focus their energy on finding the real killer. They owe the victim that much.
14:53 December 17, 2009 by calebian22
Mucker,

This is a little different. Ward had one trial. This putz had 6 separate trials. It is highly unlikely that 6 separate jurys got it wrong. Let him rot.
15:12 December 17, 2009 by Mucker
You're missing the point (intentionally?). This case is not about ALL his murders. It's about one that he has denied. He will still stay in jail if he is acquited of this murder. The police could then focus on catching the real culprit (if it wasn't Quick)

Or maybe you'd prefer if we just let him admit to every unsolved murder in Sweden and close those cases.
15:26 December 17, 2009 by calebian22
Mucker,

Did you read the article? He plans on petitioning to retry all 8 convictions. He admitted to killing more than 20 people throughout the Northlands. It seems it is you that is missing the point. This is a bored killer who has spent the last 20 years in jail and is looking to have some fun. This is a waste of time for all the victims and waste of tax payer money.

"Or maybe you'd prefer if we just let him admit to every unsolved murder in Sweden and close those cases. " That was just childish.
15:41 December 17, 2009 by Mucker
I admit that I didn't read the last line of the article.

Having said that, he has a right to a retrail.

A conviction based soley on a confession is never safe, as we have seen several times before.
16:34 December 17, 2009 by wenddiver
Where is he actually from??? Thomas Quick doesn't sound very Swedish. Why let him change his name? He dishonors the family name by becoming a serial killer and they are all stock with it, but he is allowed to hide under another?
20:38 December 17, 2009 by Henckel
@wenddiver: Quick sounds like an English or Scottish name. Perhaps one of ancestors was an immigrant, like the many Irish in France (Reille, MacMahon, Dillin, etc.) or French in Germany (Francois, Arnaud, de Maiziere, etc.).
22:37 December 17, 2009 by wotist
Sture Bergwall was his original name. After the first murderinvestigation started while he was serving time for armed robbery, Sture bergwall changed his name to Tomas Quick. Tomas was the first name of the first guy he claimed to have killed and Quick was his mothers maiden name. He changed his name back in 2002.

This guy wants to get out of jail. However, this guy belongs behind bars. That he is capable of murder is without a doubt. Among his other offenses are:

- Molesting four boys (1969)

- Attempted murder - stabbed a guy that survived(1974).

- Armed robbery together with a 16 y.o. accomplice. Taking hostages in connection with that robbery. (1990)
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