The case
On March 17, 2008, Emma Jangestig and her two young children, Max and Saga, were attacked in their home in Arboga. The children, who had not yet turned four and two, died from their injuries. Emma survived despite life-threatening injuries.
The children's father was initially detained but was quickly cleared. Investigators then focused on Christine Schürrer, a German woman who had previously been in a relationship with Emma's partner. Schürrer acknowledged being in Arboga on the day of the crimes but denied responsibility.
A circumstantial-evidence prosecution
The prosecution did not have a simple DNA match placing Schürrer at the scene. That absence became one of the central issues in the case. Instead, prosecutors presented a chain of circumstances: her presence in Arboga, inconsistencies in her account of why she was there, evidence about footwear and movements, her prior relationship with Emma's partner and other evidence relating to her focus on the family.
Emma's memory also became legally important. Because she had suffered severe injuries, the trial court was cautious about relying on her recollection. The Svea Court of Appeal later concluded that some fragments of her memory could be considered, including that she had encountered a woman in the home. The appellate court nevertheless emphasized the overall evidentiary chain rather than treating any single fact as decisive.
Conviction and sentence
Västmanland District Court convicted Schürrer in October 2008 of murdering the two children and attempting to murder their mother. She received life imprisonment and an order for permanent expulsion from Sweden.
Schürrer appealed. On February 16, 2009, the Svea Court of Appeal upheld the life sentence, the murder convictions and the attempted-murder conviction. Swedish public radio reported that the appellate court considered the combined evidence strong enough to exclude a reasonable alternative perpetrator.
Supreme Court proceedings
Schürrer continued to deny guilt and sought review in the Supreme Court. In April 2009, the Supreme Court refused leave to appeal, leaving the life sentence in place. She later sought reopening of the case. In February 2012, the Supreme Court rejected that request as well, finding no new circumstance sufficient to justify a retrial.
Crime by Region therefore classifies the case as solved and adjudicated while preserving the fact that the conviction rested substantially on a combined circumstantial case rather than a single forensic identification.
March 17, 2008: Max and Saga are fatally attacked in their Arboga home; their mother Emma Jangestig survives.
Spring 2008: investigators focus on Christine Schürrer after the children's father is cleared.
October 14, 2008: Västmanland District Court sentences Schürrer to life imprisonment for two murders and attempted murder.
February 16, 2009: the Svea Court of Appeal upholds the convictions, life sentence and permanent expulsion order.
April 8, 2009: the Supreme Court refuses leave to appeal.
February 21, 2012: the Supreme Court rejects a later request to reopen the case.
Current status
The convictions remain in force. Schürrer's direct appeal failed, the Supreme Court declined review, and a later reopening request was denied. The case is judicially resolved even though Schürrer maintained her innocence.
Sources
- Sveriges Radio — Court of Appeal upholds life sentence, February 16, 2009
- Sveriges Radio — appellate court on proof beyond reasonable doubt
- Sveriges Radio — Supreme Court refuses leave, April 8, 2009
- Sveriges Radio — Supreme Court rejects reopening request, February 21, 2012
- Sveriges Radio — later interview with survivor Emma Jangestig and remembrance of Max and Saga
Archive context
This case is included in the Sweden archive. Related Swedish files include The Murder of Lisa Holm, The Murders of Engla Höglund and Pernilla Hellgren and The Knutby Murder.