The woman was killed in her home with at least 25 axe blows – and her son's DNA was found both on the axe and on a towel that had been used to wipe it clean.
However, the court believes that the value of the technical evidence is limited, since the now-acquitted man had previously lived in the house and traces of him therefore do not necessarily have to be linked to the murder.
The prosecutor has pointed to a financial motive for the murder, to inherit from the mother, and the court of appeal agrees that it could be a plausible motive, but it is not enough.
The Göta Court of Appeal also believes that there is no support for the man having planned the murder. At the same time, the court points out that alternative perpetrators cannot be ruled out.
The murder charge, which was brought last year, 12 years after the murder, was based, among other things, on information from infiltrators who had created a relationship with the man and got him to talk.
The man has consistently denied the crime, even in conversations with police infiltrators.
Prosecutor Emma Berge sees no grounds for taking the case further to the Supreme Court, as it concerns evidence assessment.
Despite the outcome, she is satisfied that the case has been tried in two instances. It also has value for relatives and friends, she believes.
Even if you can't prove who did it, it's still known what she went through.
