On the night of February 28, 1986, Olof Palme (59 years old) — the Prime Minister of Sweden — went to watch a movie at the Grand Cinema in central Stockholm with his wife Lisbeth. He was without bodyguards (he had refused police protection because he wanted to live "like an ordinary citizen"). After the film (11:15 PM), the couple walked along Sveavägen, a commercial street. At the intersection with Tunnelgatan, a man approached them. He pulled out a .357 Magnum revolver. He fired two shots: one in Palme's back, one in his chest. Palme fell. Lisbeth (his wife) was slightly wounded. The killer fled into a side street. Palme was pronounced dead at 12:06 AM at the hospital. Sweden — the peaceful, neutral country — was in shock. Who killed the Prime Minister? Why? 38 years of investigation. 10,000+ people interrogated. 134 people confessed to the crime (all false). One man was convicted (Christer Pettersson — an alcoholic) then acquitted on appeal. The case was officially closed in 2020. The killer... is still unknown. The greatest criminal mystery in Scandinavian history.
Summary: Assassination of Olof Palme — February 28, 1986. Prime Minister of Sweden (1969-1976, 1982-1986). Shot on a Stockholm street at 11:21 PM. .357 Magnum revolver. Two bullets. Killer escaped. 38 years of investigation. 10,000+ witnesses. 134 false confessions. Christer Pettersson convicted 1989 (life imprisonment). Acquitted on appeal 1989. Died 2004. Theories: Swedish far-right, Kurdish PKK, South African apartheid, CIA conspiracy, Swedish secret police. Case closed 2020 (official suspect: Stig Engström — "The Skandia Man" — suicide 2000).
👤 Olof Palme: The Controversial Prime Minister
Olof Palme (1927-1986) was Prime Minister of Sweden twice (1969-1976, 1982-1986). An aristocrat (from a wealthy family). But he became a social democrat. He was intelligent, sharp-tongued, controversial. He criticized the Vietnam War (marched in a demonstration with the North Vietnamese ambassador — infuriating the United States). He compared the bombing of Hanoi to Nazi crimes (the US withdrew its ambassador). He supported the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa (funding the ANC — Mandela's party). He supported Palestinian rights. All this made him many enemies. But he was loved by the Swedish working class. He walked the streets of Stockholm without bodyguards. He took the subway. He talked to people. He said: "I don't want to live in a cage." This simplicity... killed him.
"Politics is to want something. To dare to change society."
🕵️ The Largest Investigation in Swedish History
The investigation into Palme's murder is the largest in Swedish history. It lasted 34 years (1986-2020). Cost 1.2 billion kronor ($140 million). 10,000 people were interrogated. 134 people confessed to the crime (all of them liars or mentally disturbed). 40,000 pieces of evidence were collected. The only suspect ever convicted: Christer Pettersson (an alcoholic, mentally unstable). He was convicted in 1989 (based on Lisbeth Palme's identification). But he was acquitted 3 months later (the appeals court said: no physical evidence. Lisbeth may have been influenced by his photo in the newspapers). Pettersson died in 2004. In 2020, the case was officially closed. The prosecutor (Krister Petersson — same name, different person!) announced: "The main suspect is Stig Engström... but he is dead." Engström (1934-2000) was an employee of the Skandia insurance company (his office was near the crime scene). He hated Palme (right-wing extremist). His behavior after the crime was suspicious (he was the first to call the police, but he didn't mention seeing the murder). He committed suicide in 2000. The evidence: weak. The case... is closed. But the truth?
Who Killed Olof Palme? The Theories
"1) Swedish far-right (hatred of his leftist policies). 2) Kurdish PKK (Palme was pressuring to stop their recruitment in Sweden). 3) South African apartheid regime: Palme funded the ANC (Mandela's party). 4) Swedish secret police (SÄPO): right-wing extremist officers. 5) CIA: Palme infuriated America by criticizing Vietnam. 6) Stig Engström (the Skandia Man): official suspect 2020. 7) A random person: a crime with no political motive. After 38 years... Sweden still doesn't know. Lisbeth Palme (who died in 2018) said before her death: 'I know who killed my husband. I saw his face. But no one believes me.'"