Anders Eklund (murderer)

{{Infobox criminal

| name = Anders Eklund

| image_size =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|8|6|df=y}}

| birth_place = Torsåker, Sweden

| death_date =

| death_place =

| occupation = Truck driver

| conviction_status = Incarcerated

| motive = Sexual

| conviction = Life imprisonment

| fatalities = 2+

| image_name =

| image_caption =

| charge = Murder
Rape
Child pornography charges

| conviction_penalty =

}}

Per Anders Eklund (born 6 August 1965) is a Swedish murderer and rapist convicted of killing a 31-year-old woman in 2000 and a 10-year-old girl in 2008. Eklund is also a suspect in other murder cases currently under investigation, including the unsolved 1994 murder of Malin Olsson in Gothenburg.{{cite news|first=Per |last=Mojanis |url=http://www.nwt.se/ArticlePages/200804/15/20080415232005_073/20080415232005_073.dbp.asp |title=Anders Eklund länkas samman med Malin-mordet |trans-title=Anders Eklund linked to Malin murder |newspaper=Nya Wermlands-Tidningen |access-date=2012-08-09 |language=Swedish |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080418140607/http://www.nwt.se/ArticlePages/200804/15/20080415232005_073/20080415232005_073.dbp.asp |archive-date=18 April 2008 }} On 6 October 2008, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the two murders, one rape in Sandviken 2006 and on child pornography charges.{{cite news|url=http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/anders-eklund-far-livstid_1836455.svd |title=Anders Eklund får livstid |trans-title=Anders Eklund receives life sentence |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |url-access=subscription |language=sv |date=2008-10-06 |access-date=2014-06-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408104845/http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/anders-eklund-far-livstid_1836455.svd |archive-date=8 April 2014 }}

In September 2014, the Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet revealed that Eklund was a suspect in yet another murder, this time the murder of six-year-old Jasmina Jasharaj who went missing without a trace in 1997. Even though the police have not found her body, they are treating the case as a homicide.{{cite news |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article19501686.ab |newspaper=Aftonbladet |title=AFTONBLADET AVSLÖJAR: Anders Eklund misstänkt för ett tredje mord - nekar |trans-title=AFTONBLADET REVEALS: Anders Eklund suspect in a third murder - denies |date=2014-09-09 |access-date=25 September 2015 |first1=Anders |last1=Johansson |first2=Mira |last2=Micic |language=Swedish |archive-date=2015-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925154744/http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article19501686.ab |url-status=live}}

Höglund murder

On 5 April 2008, 10-year-old Engla Juncosa Höglund went missing on her way home from soccer practice in Stjärnsund, Sweden.{{cite web|url=http://www.stockholmnews.com/more.aspx?NID=834 |title=Anders Eklund, a double murderer |publisher=Stockholm News |author=Expressen/Aftonbladet |date=2008-04-14 |access-date=2014-06-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911002340/http://www.stockholmnews.com/more.aspx?NID=834 |archive-date=2014-09-11 }} When she did not answer her mobile phone, Engla's mother, Carina Höglund, went looking for her and found her daughter's abandoned bicycle in the woods. The mother quickly suspected foul play and stated that her daughter did not have the physical strength to dispose of the bicycle in that way. By coincidence, a man was out testing his new digital camera around the time of Höglund's disappearance and he took photos of his surroundings, including one photo of 10-year-old Engla Höglund riding her bike.{{cite web |url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=161&artikel=5297455 |title=Dokumentär om fallet Engla Höglund |trans-title=Documentary about the Engla Höglund case |work=P4 Dalarna |publisher=Sveriges Radio |date=5 October 2012 |access-date=2014-06-14 |language=Swedish |archive-date=2014-09-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911002002/http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=161&artikel=5297455 |url-status=live }} The man also took a photo of a red Saab 900 following the young girl. The driver of the red car was later revealed to be Eklund.{{cite news|first=Linda |last=Solum |url=http://www.dt.se/nyheter/dalarna/article301024.ece |title=Han mördade 10-åriga Engla |trans-title=He murdered 10-year-old Engla |newspaper=Dalarnas Tidningar |date=2008-04-25 |access-date=2012-08-09 |language=Swedish |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090812143317/http://www.dt.se/nyheter/dalarna/article301024.ece |archive-date=12 August 2009 }} After the photographer stepped forward and showed police his photos, Eklund was identified and consequently arrested. On 13 April 2008, after days of interrogations by experts from Rikskriminalpolisen, Eklund confessed to the murder and disclosed the location of Höglund's body. During these interrogations Eklund also confessed to the murder of Pernilla Hellgren.

Höglund's death became headline news, as most people had high hopes of finding the girl alive. Höglund's funeral on 10 May 2008 was broadcast live on television on SVT1, the first time in Swedish television history any such broadcast had been made. The decision to broadcast the funeral was questioned and it sparked a debate about whether it was ethical or not.{{cite news |url=http://www.expressen.se/1.1114525 |title=Engla var ju så nära - och nu så långt borta |trans-title=Engla was so close - and now so far away |first=Lars |last=Lindström |newspaper=Expressen |date=8 April 2008 |access-date=2012-08-09 |language=Swedish |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614122841/http://www.expressen.se/1.1114525 |archive-date=14 June 2011 |url-status=dead}}

Hellgren murder

On 4 June 2000 in Falun, 31-year-old Pernilla Hellgren was found murdered. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted.{{cite news |url=http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/pernillas-mamma-monica-hellgren-bedrovligt/ |title=Pernillas mamma Monica Hellgren: Bedrövligt |trans-title=Pernilla's mother Monica Hellgren: Terrible |newspaper=Expressen |first=Anne-Sofie |last=Näslund |date=4 February 2010 |access-date=2014-06-14 |language=Swedish |archive-date=2014-09-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910200856/http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/pernillas-mamma-monica-hellgren-bedrovligt/ |url-status=live }} A young girl on her way home had witnessed the attack, and told investigators that she saw a man following Hellgren on her way home from a party in central Falun. DNA found on Hellgren's body was a match to Eklund, who confessed to the murder when investigators in the Engla case presented the DNA evidence that implicated him.{{cite news |url=http://www.thelocal.se/13174/20080721/ |title=Pernilla Hellgren 'was not supposed to die' |last=Simpson |first=Peter Vinthagen |date=2008-07-21 |newspaper=The Local |access-date=2008-10-05 |language=Swedish |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030013035/http://www.thelocal.se/13174/20080721/ |archive-date=30 October 2008 }}

Trial and imprisonment

On 18 July 2008, Eklund was tried on two counts of murder and two counts of rape. In addition to these charges he was also accused of several counts of illegal possession of child pornography. In August 2008, after a relatively swift trial, he was found guilty of all charges and declared mentally fit to stand trial.{{cite news |url=http://www.thelocal.se/20080904/14126 |title=Engla's killer 'will face jail' |newspaper=The Local |author=TT/The Local |date=4 September 2008 |access-date=2014-06-14 |archive-date=2014-09-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911002000/http://www.thelocal.se/20080904/14126 |url-status=live }} On 6 October 2008, Eklund was sentenced to life imprisonment for the two murders, one rape in Sandviken 2006 and for the child pornography crimes.{{cite news |url=http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/1.1241341/anders-eklund-ska-psykundersokas |title=Anders Eklund ska psykundersökas |trans-title=Anders Eklund will go through psychiatric examination |newspaper=Expressen |first=Adam |last=Öhman |date=23 July 2008 |access-date=2012-08-09 |language=Swedish |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920053611/http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/1.1241341/anders-eklund-ska-psykundersokas |archive-date=20 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |url=http://www.thelocal.se/20081006/14780 |title=Engla's killer sentenced to life in prison |newspaper=The Local |author=TT/The Local |date=6 October 2008 |access-date=2014-06-14 |archive-date=2014-09-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910195855/http://www.thelocal.se/20081006/14780 |url-status=live }}

Following the sentencing, Eklund was transferred to the Norrtälje Correctional Facility, a high-security prison north of Stockholm. The Norrtälje Correctional Facility provides a special wing for sex offenders, commonly known as "the sex bunker", in which Eklund was incarcerated.{{cite news |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article16507784.ab |newspaper=Aftonbladet |title=Unik granskning av Sveriges livstidsfångar |trans-title=Unique review of Swedish prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment |first1=Anders |last1=Johansson |first2=Josefin |last2=Lundh |date=2013-03-29 |access-date=25 September 2015 |language=Swedish |archive-date=2015-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925152919/http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article16507784.ab |url-status=live}}

In June 2014, Eklund was assaulted by other inmates and had to be hospitalized.{{cite AV media|url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=114&artikel=5885200 |title=Morddömd misshandlad på Norrtäljeanstalten |trans-title=Sentenced murderer beaten at Norrtälje Prison |work=P4 Uppland |publisher=Sveriges Radio |date=10 June 2014 |access-date=2014-06-14 |language=Swedish |archive-date=2014-09-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911001843/http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=114&artikel=5885200 |url-status=live}} He was released from hospital and returned to prison the same day.{{cite news |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article19031315.ab |title=Anders Eklund misshandlad på anstalt |trans-title=Anders Eklund beaten in prison |newspaper=Aftonbladet |first1=Anders |last1=Johansson |first2=John |last2=Granlund |first3=Nivette |last3=Dawod |date=2014-06-10 |access-date=2014-06-14 |language=Swedish |archive-date=2014-06-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140613005057/http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article19031315.ab |url-status=live }}