After Aftonbladet's reviews in the autumn that pointed to several shortcomings in the investigation of the 2004 murder in Knutby, Johan Eriksson, together with his client, the so-called nanny, decided to apply for a review by the Supreme Court.
As a first step, the lawyer will submit a letter to the Attorney General (RÅ) on Friday to reopen the case.
The investigation into the Knutby case questions whether the nanny really fired the fatal shots that killed the pastor's wife in the bedroom.
"My conclusion is that when she fired the first shot, the pastor's wife was already dead. When she fired the two later shots, she missed," says Johan Eriksson.
“Seriously misleading”
Several parts of the investigative material collected by the police but never presented in court raise questions, according to the lawyer.
Among other things, he points out that more shots may have been fired at the pastor's wife than the nanny stated she fired - and that there could therefore be an alternative perpetrator.
In support of his conclusions, Johan Eriksson cites the shooting angles, a reconstruction in which the nanny was asked to come closer to show how she shot, and a pool of blood under the bed, which he says indicates the murder may have been committed earlier.
"When you look at the surplus material, you will notice that the preliminary investigation material is seriously misleading," he says.
He also says there were more bullet holes in the bedding than were presented, something that could not be investigated further.
"The mattress was returned to Knutby parish and burned."
Not seeking damages
According to Johan Eriksson, the verdict rests largely on the nanny's own statements, and he says that should not be enough to convict someone of such a serious crime as murder.
"She admits to something she was completely convinced she had done, until the circumstances are examined."
He adds that the nanny, who has expressed a wish to be left alone by the media, is neither seeking damages nor forgiveness.
"If she hasn't actually killed a person, it would have a very big impact on the guilt she carries. This is important for her personal well-being."
On January 10, 2004, pastor Helge Fossmo's wife was found murdered in the couple's home in the small community of Knutby outside Uppsala. In the neighboring house, a 30-year-old man was found shot. Fossmo was later sentenced to life imprisonment for incitement to murder and attempted murder. The woman known as the nanny, who carried out the acts, was given forensic psychiatric care.
The incident also drew attention to the Philadelphia congregation to which Fossmo belonged. Information gradually emerged about the group's unusual interpretation of the Bible, in which the concept of the "bride of Christ" was taken to mean a specific person - a woman in the Knutby congregation.
Helge Fossmo's sentence was later commuted and he has been on parole for a few years. The nanny was released in 2011.
