Olof Palme

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Swedish Police And Prosecutors (OFFICE)

Offense Location:

Stockholm, Sweden

Summary:

Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was fatally wounded by a single gunshot while walking home from a cinema with his wife Lisbeth Palme on the central Stockholm street Sveavägen on 28 February 1986 at 23:21 CET. On 10 June 2020, chief prosecutor Krister Petersson concluded that Stig Engström, also known as the "Skandia Man", was the most likely suspect. As Engström had killed himself in 2000, the authorities announced that the investigation into Palme's death was to be closed, and the 2020 conclusion has faced widespread criticism from lawyers, police officers and journalists, decrying the evidence as only circumstantial.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

Walking home from the Grand Cinema with his wife Lisbeth Palme on the central Stockholm street of Sveavägen, close to midnight on 28 February 1986, the couple were attacked by a lone gunman. The couple did not have bodyguards with them. Palme was fatally shot in the back at close range at 23:21 CET, and a second shot wounded Lisbeth. Police said that a taxi driver used his mobile radio to raise an alarm, and two girls in a nearby car tried to assist. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Sabbatsberg Hospital at 00:06 on 1 March 1986. The attacker escaped eastwards on Tunnelgatan.

Additional Details:

Christer Pettersson, who had previously been convicted of manslaughter in an unrelated case, was convicted of the Palme murder in 1988 after Mrs. Palme identified him as the assailant. However, on appeal to Svea Court of Appeal, he was acquitted. A petition for a new trial, filed by the prosecutor, was denied by the Supreme Court of Sweden. Pettersson died on 29 September 2004, legally innocent of the Palme assassination. Palme's funeral was held on 15 March 1986, attended by foreign dignitaries from 125 nations, schoolchildren, activists from Palme's Social Democratic Party, members of the Swedish royal family and Palme's family. The law was later changed to prevent the Palme case from expiring, and thus the police investigation remained active for 34 years. On 10 June 2020, chief prosecutor Krister Petersson announced his conclusion that Stig Engström, also known as the "Skandia Man", was the most likely suspect. At the time, Engström was briefly considered a suspect and was a graphic designer. It's too late to pursue a case against him. Engström died, by apparent suicide, in 2000. At a December 2025 press conference it was announced that Stig Engström no longer was the main suspect of the assassination, but that the investigation would not be reopened.

Case Last Updated:

Jun 08, 2026