Bio

Teet Härm was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1953. He became a physician and later a forensic pathologist. By the early 1980s, he was regarded as a talented medical examiner and had published papers on forensic medicine, particularly on strangulation and sexual violence. He frequently assisted Swedish police in homicide investigations and had developed a professional reputation in forensic pathology.

In 1982, his wife, Ann-Catherine Härm, died by hanging. Her death was officially ruled a suicide, although questions about the circumstances would later resurface after his arrest in the da Costa case.

Murder Story

In June 1984, 28-year-old prostitute Catrine da Costa disappeared in Stockholm, Sweden. The following month, parts of her dismembered remains were discovered in garbage bags at several locations around the city, although her head and several organs were never recovered. The brutal nature of the crime sparked one of Sweden's most infamous murder investigations.

Authorities eventually focused on forensic pathologist Dr. Teet Härm and physician Dr. Thomas Allgén, believing they may have been involved in da Costa's death and the dismemberment of her body. Both men were arrested and charged with murder in 1987. However, the prosecution's case relied largely on circumstantial evidence and controversial witness testimony.

Although a jury initially returned a guilty verdict, the conviction was overturned due to procedural errors, and both men were later acquitted at a retrial because there was insufficient evidence to prove they committed the murder. As a result, the killing of Catrine da Costa remains officially unsolved, and Dr. Teet Härm has never been legally found guilty of her murder.