Yngsjö murder
The Yngsjö murder occurred on 28 March 1889 in Yngsjö, Sweden. Hanna Johansdotter (born 1867) was murdered by her husband Per Nilsson and his mother Anna Månsdotter (born 28 December 1841), who became known as Yngsjömörderskan (in English: The Yngsjö Murderess). Both were sentenced to death for the murder, and Månsdotter became the last woman in Sweden to be executed.[1]
Circumstances
The circumstances of the murder are not entirely clear, as both Månsdotter and her son gave several different explanations for it. In later years it has been suggested that she carried out the murder alone. During the trial it came to light that she had a sexual relationship with her son, and that this eventually led to the murder. It is believed, that she murdered her daughter-in-law because of jealousy, and that she did this with her son's consent.
Anna Månsdotter had married Nils Nilsson, 13 years her elder, expecting a wealthy future, but they had become poor and afflicted with debts. She had three children, of which only one, her son Per, lived to adulthood. Anna's spouse Nils died in 1883. She had arranged the marriage between Per and Hanna Johansdotter, possibly as a way to prevent the spread of rumours about incest. The marriage was not a happy one. Anna did not move in with her own mother, which had been the initial plan, and Hanna complained to her father that her mother-in-law was the cause of her unhappy marriage. One suggestion is that Hanna had discovered the sexual relationship between her husband and his mother, and that they together murdered her to prevent her from being able to tell anyone. One of many summaries given of the murder was that they beat her with a piece of wood, after which Anna strangled her. They then dressed her and placed her as if she had fallen down the stairs.
Månsdotter was executed on the district jail grounds in Kristianstad on 7 August 1890 by executioner Albert Gustaf Dahlman. Per Nilsson was pardoned from his death sentence and was instead sentenced to hard labour for the rest of his life. He was however released in 1913 and died of tuberculosis in 1918.[2]
In media
The Yngsjö Murder has been portrayed in numerous movies and books over the years:
- In 1966 a full-length feature film, Yngsjömordet, was made about the murder, directed by Arne Mattsson, with Gösta Ekman (as Per Nilsson), Gunnel Lindblom (as Anna Månsdotter) and Christina Schollin (as Hanna Johansdotter).[3]
- In 1986 a part of the mini-series, Skånska mord, also entitled "Yngsjömordet", was made, directed by Richard Hobert.
Gallery
- The mother, Anna Månsdotter.
- The son, Per Nilsson.
- The victim, Hanna Johansdotter.
- Photograph taken just moments before the execution of Anna Månsdotter. The executioner Dahlman stands second to the left, hiding his axe behind his back.
References
- ↑ "Yngsjömordet". monaper.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on August 12, 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
- ↑ "Yngsjömordet". Buf.kristianstad.se (in Swedish). 2005. Archived from the original on March 28, 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
- ↑ "Yngsjömordet (1966)" (in Swedish). Swedish Film Database. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
Further reading
- "Yngsjömordet". buf.kristianstad.se. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- Lars Palmborg. ”Anna ströp sonens fru”. Kvällsposten, 16 juli 2007. Läst 3 mars 2009.
- C. O. Bernhardsson: Brottets krönika (1954)
- Bra Böckers Lexikon, red. Jan-Öjvind Swahn, 3:e upplagan, band 22, Bokförlaget Bra Böcker, Höganäs 1991 sid. 193
- Nationalencyklopedin