Suspect's DNA on Lindh knife

2003-10-01 17:08

Stockholm - The DNA of a man arrested for the killing of Sweden's foreign minister Anna Lindh has been found on the knife that was used to stab her, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Mijailo Mijailovic, 24, who was arrested last week, has denied during police questioning that he attacked Lindh on September 10 while she was shopping at a Stockholm department store, a killing that stunned Sweden.

The Expressen newspaper, quoting unidentified sources close to the investigation, said DNA samples from the knife that were sent to a British forensics laboratory for testing match Mijailovic's genetic code, thereby linking him to the crime.

"We have plenty of technical evidence," Expressen quoted its source as saying.

Contacted by AFP, the forensic science service said it was unable to confirm the report.

Swedish prosecutors have until October 10 to gather evidence to bring formal charges against Mijailovic. The DNA results are expected to be a crucial part of their case.

Lindh's attacker fled the scene on foot, leaving behind the knife, a baseball cap and a sweatshirt. Lindh died of massive internal bleeding the following day.

Psychiatric illness

Her death led to a public outpouring of grief in Sweden, and brought back memories of the still-unresolved 1986 murder of prime minister Olof Palme, who was gunned down as he walked down a Stockholm street with his wife.

The killing came just days before Sweden voted in a referendum to reject replacing the Swedish currency with the euro.

According to reports in the Swedish media, Mijailovic has a history of psychiatric illness. He was reportedly released from psychiatric care only days before the murder, and was turned away from a hospital after the killing because of capacity problems.

Born in Sweden to Serbian parents, he has been described in press reports as unstable with violent tendencies. In 1997, he was given probation after stabbing his father with a kitchen knife.

One press report said the suspect had a fixation on famous people, and "hated Anna Lindh".

Expressen reported on Tuesday that he had confessed to the crime in a conversation with his mother a few days after the fatal stabbing.

- AFP