Thomas Quick
Encyclopedia
Thomas Quick is a convicted Swedish serial killer
who has confessed to more than 30 murder
s, although he has only eight conviction
s, two of which have been overturned. With no technical evidence, the only evidence police have held on Quick are his own confession
s; elements in these confessions that have been judged to match classified facts from the police dossiers on the crimes in question (e.g. clothing
and birthmark
s of victims). The credibility of Quick's confessions have been widely debated in the Swedish media. Critics of these confessions, and the trials, claim that Quick never murdered anyone, but that he is a compulsive liar. In December 2008 Quick recanted his confessions, and denied taking part in any of the murders for which he was convicted.
, and consigned to closed psychiatric care. During therapy
he confessed to some 20 murders committed in Sweden, Norway
, Denmark
, and Finland
between 1964 and 1993. One of his confessions led to the solving of an 18 year old murder considered to be unsolvable, and another to the informal solving of a murder in Växjö
in 1964. The 1964 crime had passed the then Swedish 25-year limit of punition, but with the information given by Quick the murderer was considered to be found.
Over time, Quick was convicted of eight murders at six different trials:
(In Sweden a defendant always gets access to the full police investigation before the trial.)
. According to Quick's sister he never left Falun at the time of this murder. The credibility of Quick's confessions had been widely debated in the Swedish media since 1993, up until 2008, when Quick withdrew all of his confessions. There have been consistent doubts about the reliability of his statements, and some of his confessions have been proven to be fabrications-in some cases the victims have turned up alive and well. Another dubious circumstance is the fact that no witnesses have ever testified to seeing Quick in the proximity of any of the crime scenes, even though more than 10,000 people were interviewed for intricate details.
Critics of these confessions and the trials claim that Quick never murdered anyone, but that he is a compulsive liar. Among the critics are the parents of a child he confessed to having murdered in the late 1970s. In response to these accusations, Quick himself wrote an article for the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter
in 2001 in which he said that he refused to cooperate further with the authorities concerning all open murder investigations.
In November 2006 Thomas Quick's trials were reported to the Swedish Chancellor of Justice
by retired lawyer Pelle Svensson
on behalf of two relatives of a murder victim who wish to have the trials declared invalid.
Several principals in the fields of law
and psychiatry
, amongst them Swedish police professor Leif GW Persson and secret sources in the Swedish police all claim that Quick is mentally unstable but not guilty in many if any of the crimes to which he confessed. They describe the handling of the Quick cases as the "most scandalous" chapter of Scandinavian crime history, branding it as glaring incompetence, naiveté, and opportunism within the police and judicial system.
Quick withdrew all of his confessions in 2008 during the taping of a TV documentary. Quick's attorney now contends that the prosecution withheld important investigative material from the defence (which the prosecution adamantly denies). Quick's attorney also maintains that his client is mentally ill and had been under the influence of narcotics prescribed by a doctor when he confessed to the killings.
Thomas Quick, now Sture Bergwall, recanted his confessions and requested the Svea Court of Appeals order a new trial for the murder case of Yenon Levi at Rörshyttan. In December 2009 the court of appeals granted a retrial of the Yenon Levi case. As the prosecutor found that the evidence was not sufficient, Quick moved for a judgment of acquittal, and he was acquitted in September 2010.
Quick's counsel also declared his intention to ask for a retrial of the Therese Johannesen case, claiming that Quick has an alibi for the day when Therese Johannesen was abducted and murdered. SKL (Statens kriminaltekniska laboratorium, State Forensic-Technical Laboratory) found in March 2010 that two forensic objects which the prosecution had claimed were bone fragments were in fact small pieces of charred wood. A retrial has been granted.
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
who has confessed to more than 30 murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
s, although he has only eight conviction
Conviction
In law, a conviction is the verdict that results when a court of law finds a defendant guilty of a crime.The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal . In Scotland and in the Netherlands, there can also be a verdict of "not proven", which counts as an acquittal...
s, two of which have been overturned. With no technical evidence, the only evidence police have held on Quick are his own confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
s; elements in these confessions that have been judged to match classified facts from the police dossiers on the crimes in question (e.g. clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
and birthmark
Birthmark
A birthmark is a benign irregularity on the skin which is present at birth or appears shortly after birth, usually in the first month. They can occur anywhere on the skin. Birthmarks are caused by overgrowth of blood vessels, melanocytes, smooth muscle, fat, fibroblasts, or...
s of victims). The credibility of Quick's confessions have been widely debated in the Swedish media. Critics of these confessions, and the trials, claim that Quick never murdered anyone, but that he is a compulsive liar. In December 2008 Quick recanted his confessions, and denied taking part in any of the murders for which he was convicted.
Convictions
About 1990-91 Quick was sentenced to lengthy prison terms for armed robberyRobbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
, and consigned to closed psychiatric care. During therapy
Therapy
This is a list of types of therapy .* Adventure therapy* Animal-assisted therapy* Aquatic therapy* Aromatherapy* Art and dementia* Art therapy* Authentic Movement* Behavioral therapy* Bibliotherapy* Buteyko Method* Chemotherapy...
he confessed to some 20 murders committed in Sweden, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
between 1964 and 1993. One of his confessions led to the solving of an 18 year old murder considered to be unsolvable, and another to the informal solving of a murder in Växjö
Växjö
Växjö is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden with 64 200 inhabitants in 2010. It is the administrative, cultural and industrial centre of Kronoberg County. Furthermore it is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Växjö. It has a population of about 64 200, out of a...
in 1964. The 1964 crime had passed the then Swedish 25-year limit of punition, but with the information given by Quick the murderer was considered to be found.
Over time, Quick was convicted of eight murders at six different trials:
- Charles Zelmanovits, PiteåPiteåPiteå is a locality and the seat of Piteå Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden. The town has 22,650 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 41,000 in 2008.- Geography :...
1976, sentenced in 1994 - no forensic evidence but a confession. - Johan Asplund, SundsvallSundsvall-External links:* - Official site from Nordisk Familjebok - Sundsvalls tourist information bureau. - The alternative guide to Sundsvall. - Blog with photos from Sundsvall....
, 1980, sentenced in 2001 - no body, no forensics but confession. - The Stegehuis couple, Appojaure, 1984, sentenced in 1996 - no forensics, but Quick gave information regarding facts that had never been disclosed to the public. His confessions were later questioned, as Quick seemed to have been privy to all information before the trial.
- Yenon Levi, tourist from IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Rörshyttan, 1988, sentenced in 1997 - no forensic evidence, but statements included in Quick's testimony were matched against undisclosed police facts. Charges waived 09/2010. - Therese Johannesen, DrammenDrammenDrammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
, NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, 1988, sentenced in 1998 - no forensic evidence. Charges waived 03/2011. - Trine Jensen, OsloOsloOslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, 1981, sentenced in 2000 - no forensic evidence. - Gry Storvik, Oslo, 1985 - no forensic evidence, confession; the semen found in victim did not belong to Quick.
(In Sweden a defendant always gets access to the full police investigation before the trial.)
Quick's confessions and subsequent withdrawal of confessions
In the years following 1990, when Quick was sentenced to closed psychiatric confinement, he confessed to several unsolved murders. His first murder, according to his own accounts, occurred in Växjö in 1964, when Quick was only 14 years old. The victim, Thomas Blomgren, was described by Quick as being the same age but not as strong and tall as himself. The second alleged victim was Alvar Larsson, whom Quick claimed to have murdered at Sirkön in the lake Åsnen outside the town of UrshultUrshult
Urshult is a locality situated in Tingsryd Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden with 813 inhabitants in 2005.- References :...
. According to Quick's sister he never left Falun at the time of this murder. The credibility of Quick's confessions had been widely debated in the Swedish media since 1993, up until 2008, when Quick withdrew all of his confessions. There have been consistent doubts about the reliability of his statements, and some of his confessions have been proven to be fabrications-in some cases the victims have turned up alive and well. Another dubious circumstance is the fact that no witnesses have ever testified to seeing Quick in the proximity of any of the crime scenes, even though more than 10,000 people were interviewed for intricate details.
Critics of these confessions and the trials claim that Quick never murdered anyone, but that he is a compulsive liar. Among the critics are the parents of a child he confessed to having murdered in the late 1970s. In response to these accusations, Quick himself wrote an article for the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter
Dagens Nyheter
is a daily newspaper in Sweden. It has the largest circulation of Swedish morning newspapers, followed by Göteborgs-Posten and Svenska Dagbladet, and is the only morning newspaper that is distributed to subscribers across the whole country. In 2009 DN had a circulation of 316,000, reaching 881...
in 2001 in which he said that he refused to cooperate further with the authorities concerning all open murder investigations.
Chancellor of Justice
In some countries, the Chancellor of Justice is a government official responsible for supervising the lawfulness of government actions. The Chancellor does not have the power to strike down laws In some countries, the Chancellor of Justice is a government official responsible for supervising the...
by retired lawyer Pelle Svensson
Pelle Svensson
Per Oskar "Pelle" Svensson is a Swedish former Greco-Roman wrestler and lawyer...
on behalf of two relatives of a murder victim who wish to have the trials declared invalid.
Several principals in the fields of law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
, amongst them Swedish police professor Leif GW Persson and secret sources in the Swedish police all claim that Quick is mentally unstable but not guilty in many if any of the crimes to which he confessed. They describe the handling of the Quick cases as the "most scandalous" chapter of Scandinavian crime history, branding it as glaring incompetence, naiveté, and opportunism within the police and judicial system.
Quick withdrew all of his confessions in 2008 during the taping of a TV documentary. Quick's attorney now contends that the prosecution withheld important investigative material from the defence (which the prosecution adamantly denies). Quick's attorney also maintains that his client is mentally ill and had been under the influence of narcotics prescribed by a doctor when he confessed to the killings.
Thomas Quick, now Sture Bergwall, recanted his confessions and requested the Svea Court of Appeals order a new trial for the murder case of Yenon Levi at Rörshyttan. In December 2009 the court of appeals granted a retrial of the Yenon Levi case. As the prosecutor found that the evidence was not sufficient, Quick moved for a judgment of acquittal, and he was acquitted in September 2010.
Quick's counsel also declared his intention to ask for a retrial of the Therese Johannesen case, claiming that Quick has an alibi for the day when Therese Johannesen was abducted and murdered. SKL (Statens kriminaltekniska laboratorium, State Forensic-Technical Laboratory) found in March 2010 that two forensic objects which the prosecution had claimed were bone fragments were in fact small pieces of charred wood. A retrial has been granted.
Sources
- Bergwall, Sten-Ove, Min bror Thomas Quick: en berättelse om det ofattbara. Stockholm : Rabén Prisma, 1995. Swedish.
- Quick, Thomas, Kvarblivelse. Stockholm : Kaos Press 1998. Swedish.
- Article in Dagens Nyheter on the report to the Chancellor of Justice, November 20, 2006.
- Documentary on the retraction of Thomas Quick's murder confessions (In swedish), Sveriges TelevisionSveriges TelevisionSveriges Television AB , Sweden's Television, is a national television broadcaster based in Sweden, funded by a compulsory fee to be paid by all television owners...
December 2008 - http://www.thelocal.se/29232/20100924/
- http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/thomas-quick-frikand-for-mord_5245779.svd