The Malexander Murders

The Kisa bank robbery

On May 28, 1999, Jackie Arklöv, Tony Olsson and Andreas Axelsson robbed Östgöta Enskilda Bank in Kisa in southeastern Sweden. The robbery triggered a police pursuit through Östergötland.

According to later Swedish reporting on the convictions, the men used firearms during the escape and also attacked pursuing police. The sequence of events ultimately led to a confrontation near Malexander.

The killings near Malexander

Police officers Olle Borén and Robert Karlström encountered the fugitives during the pursuit. Both officers were shot and killed. Swedish news reports summarizing the case state that the officers were killed at close range and that their service weapons were used in the crime.

The murders became one of Sweden's most notorious attacks on police in the modern era. The investigation focused on the three bank robbers, all of whom were eventually prosecuted for the killings and other serious offenses connected to the escape.

Investigation and prosecution

Authorities connected Arklöv, Olsson and Axelsson to the Kisa robbery and the subsequent violence. The criminal case also included attempted murder and additional armed robbery offenses.

At trial, responsibility for the Malexander murders was considered together with the broader course of violent conduct surrounding the robbery and pursuit. The courts ultimately found all three men criminally responsible for the killings.

Life sentences

In 2000, the three defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders. Swedish reporting describes the convictions as covering the murders of Borén and Karlström, with additional convictions for other violent and robbery offenses.

Jackie Arklöv later admitted that he had shot the officers. That later admission does not alter the fact that all three men had already been convicted in the criminal proceedings.

Later sentence decisions

Swedish law allows some people serving life sentences to apply to have those sentences converted into fixed terms. The three defendants have not received identical outcomes.

Andreas Axelsson's life sentence was converted to 35 years, and he was released in September 2022 after serving the required portion of that term. Tony Olsson, later known as Tony Byström, also had his sentence converted to 35 years and was conditionally released in September 2023 after approximately 23 years in prison.

Jackie Arklöv has repeatedly sought conversion of his life sentence. As of January 7, 2026, Örebro District Court had again refused his application, meaning that he continued to serve an indeterminate life sentence. That current status is materially different from the later fixed-term outcomes for Axelsson and Byström.

Timeline

Current status

The Malexander murders are solved and adjudicated. Jackie Arklöv, Tony Olsson and Andreas Axelsson were convicted of the killings. Later sentence administration changed the custody status of Olsson/Byström and Axelsson, but did not overturn their convictions. Arklöv remained incarcerated on a life sentence as of January 2026.