Who Murdered Christina Olofsson?

On a winter night in 1996, hotel receptionist Christina Olofsson was brutally murdered at her workplace in Visby. 28 years later, the hope of finding her murderer still lives on. I probably think about it a bit too often, says prosecutor Susanne Wihlborg, who has lived with the case for several decades.

» Updated: September 12 2024

» Published: July 22 2024

Who Murdered Christina Olofsson?
Photo: Anders Humlebo/TT

On a winter night in 1996, hotel receptionist Christina Olofsson was brutally murdered at her workplace in Visby. 28 years later, hope still lives on to find her killer.

I think about it a bit too often, says prosecutor Susanne Wihlborg, who has lived with the case for several decades.

On the evening of December 11, 1996, 46-year-old Christina Olofsson goes on duty as night porter at Wisby hotel, the old town hotel in central Visby.

She's not in a good mood. The hotel is hosting a Christmas party with dancing to the local orchestra Gotlänningarna, and Christina Olofsson is sensitive to noise and mess, a former colleague tells Aftonbladet much later.

It becomes quiet first towards the small hours when the last partygoers go home.

Just before three in the morning, one of the hotel guests slips in and says hello to Olofsson. Before he goes into the elevator, he hears a metallic sound coming from a closed corridor. He is probably the last one, except for the perpetrator, to see her alive.

At quarter past six, an employee who is to prepare the hotel breakfast discovers that the reception is unmanned. He finds his colleague Christina on the floor outside an office, murdered. Next to her lies the murder weapon: a bolt cutter from the hotel's own toolbox.

The cash register containing around 7,000 kronor is gone.

Traces from an unusual shoe

According to the police, the perpetrators – likely at least two – entered through a room on the hotel's backside. When they broke into the office, they were probably caught by Olofsson.

The police find some promising leads. There is a print from the unusual shoe model Reebok Ex-o-fit high. Several witnesses tell of a car, likely a Volvo, with a broken exhaust pipe, which started nearby and then drove towards the harbor.

But no killer is found.

Prosecutor Susanne Wihlborg has been leading the investigation since 2001 and sighs a little when the case comes up.

I think about it a bit too often, she says.

Things happen all the time. We top and hold interrogations. Despite it being almost 30 years, we still get tips. But it's tricky when it's been so many years.

A few years ago, she was more optimistic. The police's cold case group was brought in in 2017, at the same time as new breakthroughs were made in DNA technology.

DNA trace too small

There is a DNA trace from an unidentified man in the case. Hope was kindled that the murder could be solved with the help of genealogy databases, as in the double murder in Linköping. But it turned out that the DNA trace from the hotel is too small.

We don't have such a clear profile. The problem is that the methods used in 1996 probably destroyed evidence. Some things may have been lost due to the technology available today, says Susanne Wihlborg.

Hope lies in a direct hit from a tip. Susanne Wihlborg has lost count of how many people have been tipped off by now.

Ugh, I have no idea, it's many.

Early in the investigation, the theory was that the murder was committed by a relatively well-adjusted person who had a lot to lose by being identified and therefore decided to get rid of Olofsson.

I took over four years after it happened, and then that perception was very cemented. Including with Leif GW Persson. He was even in my office and told me that this was about "social fall height", says Wihlborg.

Rumors of large sums of money

At the time, a rumor circulated that an old cruise ship was to be sold at auction and that guests had deposited large amounts of cash at the hotel. This could explain why someone would risk a break-in, despite their social fall height.

Both Susanne Wihlborg and the cold case group believe rather that it's about a ordinary break-in that went wrong and that the perpetrators came from Visby's drug circles.

That night, a large shipment of amphetamine was to be delivered to Gotland, and our drug addicts were out and about because of it. It's common for thefts to be committed to get money for drugs, and when there's addiction, it can lead to things going wrong.

Do you think these people are still alive and living on Gotland?

The feeling is a bit varied in me.

I would have loved to have been able to present some kind of explanation for why this happened and who did it, for everyone's sake and especially for the victim's family. My hope is that I'll be able to present something one day.

Tags

TTT
By TTThis article has been altered and translated by Sweden Herald

More news

Fasting Three Days a Week
3 MIN READ

Fasting Three Days a Week Yields Greater Weight Loss Than Calorie Cutting

Medicine Turns Human Blood Toxic
2 MIN READ

Medicine Turns Human Blood Toxic to Mosquitoes, Offering Malaria Hope

Explosion Damages Malmö Apartment Gate;
1 MIN READ

Explosion Damages Malmö Apartment Gate; Investigation Underway

Two Seriously Injured in Ydre
1 MIN READ

Two Seriously Injured in Ydre Car Crash; Police Investigate Negligence

Suspicious Object in Malmö Deemed
1 MIN READ

Suspicious Object in Malmö Deemed Harmless by Police

Lena Nyberg Takes Helm of
1 MIN READ

Lena Nyberg Takes Helm of Sami Truth Commission

Tony's Chocolonely Recalls Chocolate Over
1 MIN READ

Tony's Chocolonely Recalls Chocolate Over Stone Contamination Risk

Sweden Expands Conscription Eligibility with
1 MIN READ

Sweden Expands Conscription Eligibility with Streamlined Process

Suspect Detained in Uddevalla Mosque
1 MIN READ

Suspect Detained in Uddevalla Mosque Fire Investigation

Critics Urge Sweden to Scrap
2 MIN READ

Critics Urge Sweden to Scrap Proposal on Lifestyle-Based Permit Revocation

Swedes Enjoy Longer Lives but
2 MIN READ

Swedes Enjoy Longer Lives but Face Growing Health Inequality

Stockholm Region's Journalist Register Sparks
2 MIN READ

Stockholm Region's Journalist Register Sparks Privacy Concerns

Woman Hospitalized After Attempted Murder
1 MIN READ

Woman Hospitalized After Attempted Murder in Örsundsbro, Suspect Arrested

Journalist Joakim Medin Declares from
2 MIN READ

Journalist Joakim Medin Declares from Turkish Prison: Journalism Is Not a Crime

Fredrick Federley Eyes Return to
1 MIN READ

Fredrick Federley Eyes Return to Center Party Politics in Sweden

Kristersson: Swedish Efforts Intensify for
1 MIN READ

Kristersson: Swedish Efforts Intensify for Journalist's Release in Turkey

Nina Larsson Steps In as
2 MIN READ

Nina Larsson Steps In as Sweden's New Gender Equality Minister

75-Year-Old Woman Arrested in Ale
1 MIN READ

75-Year-Old Woman Arrested in Ale for Suspected Murder of Elderly Man

New Blood Marker Tracks Alzheimer's
2 MIN READ

New Blood Marker Tracks Alzheimer's Progression, Aiding Drug Approval

Stefan Löfven Leaves Facebook Citing
1 MIN READ

Stefan Löfven Leaves Facebook Citing Concerns Over Democracy

Sweden to Announce New Minister
1 MIN READ

Sweden to Announce New Minister for Gender Equality and Labor Market

Region Skåne to Pay 80
1 MIN READ

Region Skåne to Pay 80 Million Kronor in Ambulance Dispute Settlement

Greta Thunberg Removed by Police
1 MIN READ

Greta Thunberg Removed by Police During Stockholm Climate Protest

Man in His 50s Killed
1 MIN READ

Man in His 50s Killed by Falling Beam in Mölndal Workplace Accident

Swedish Teen Sentenced to 8
1 MIN READ

Swedish Teen Sentenced to 8 Years in Denmark for Attempted Murder

Sweden Considers Deportation for Misbehavior
3 MIN READ

Sweden Considers Deportation for Misbehavior Under New Proposal

Man Arrested in Norrköping Murder
1 MIN READ

Man Arrested in Norrköping Murder Investigation

Death in Fjärås Ruled Non-Criminal
1 MIN READ

Death in Fjärås Ruled Non-Criminal After Investigation

Swedish Armed Forces Ordered to
1 MIN READ

Swedish Armed Forces Ordered to Pay for PFAS Cleanup in Uppsala

Swedish Man Charged in Copenhagen
1 MIN READ

Swedish Man Charged in Copenhagen Murder Disguised as Courier

Gender Gap in Sick Leave:
3 MIN READ

Gender Gap in Sick Leave: Women Face Double Workload Challenges

Sweden's April Fools' Day: Elk
2 MIN READ

Sweden's April Fools' Day: Elk Cavalry and Studio Swap Pranks

Sweden Ends Spruce Bark Beetle
2 MIN READ

Sweden Ends Spruce Bark Beetle Control as Threat Diminishes

Drought Shifts Earth's Axis and
3 MIN READ

Drought Shifts Earth's Axis and Raises Sea Levels, Study Finds

Örebro Doctor Sentenced to 7
1 MIN READ

Örebro Doctor Sentenced to 7 Years for Sexual Assaults on Patients

Swedish Journalist's Detention in Turkey
1 MIN READ

Swedish Journalist's Detention in Turkey Raises Legal Concerns

Woman Hospitalized After Villa Fire
1 MIN READ

Woman Hospitalized After Villa Fire Near Älvsbyn

Sölvesborg Man in Custody for
1 MIN READ

Sölvesborg Man in Custody for Alleged Online Child Sex Crimes

Report Highlights High Rates of
1 MIN READ

Report Highlights High Rates of Relationship Violence Among Young Girls

Hedgehogs Reveal High Lead and
1 MIN READ

Hedgehogs Reveal High Lead and Pollutant Levels in Swedish Study