Bio

Peter Westerstrøm was born in Ljungby, Sweden, around 1778. His father, Jonas Westerstrøm, worked as a sexton but died when Peter was just eight years old. After his father's death, Peter was raised by his mother and her brother. Peter's mother passed away in 1804, leaving him without immediate family.

As a young man, Peter began his career as a man-servant. Later, he trained to become a tailor, but he never advanced beyond being an apprentice. He claimed to have started a business refining cotton, but this venture failed, and he had to borrow money. This story about his business was not verified, especially since there was ongoing conflict between Norway and Sweden during this time.

By 1806, Peter moved to Norway. He said he left Sweden to avoid imprisonment for bankruptcy. There were rumors that he fled after committing a robbery and murder against his former employer, Lieutenant General Liljehorn. In Norway, Peter settled in the city of Moss, where he worked as a tailor. He traveled around the countryside to find work among local farmers.

Throughout his early life, Peter faced many challenges, including the loss of his family and the struggle to establish himself in a new place. These factors contributed to a turbulent existence before he gained notoriety for his later actions.

Murder Story

On the night between December 31, 1808, and January 1, 1809, Peter Westerstrøm committed the Saksebøl Slaughter in Hobøl, Norway. He killed four people: Johannes Jensen, the station manager, and his three servants, Lars Arvesen, Jens Svensen, and Karen Olsdatter. Westerstrøm used an axe to carry out the murders and later robbed the house. He forced open a strongbox and took valuables, including 20 daler in cash, clothing, silver spoons, a pair of boots, and a pipe.

After the crime, he attempted to escape back to Sweden but was stopped by bad weather. An autopsy was performed by Dr. Hans Munk, and an investigation team was formed. This team included Judge Christian Magnus Falsen, Sheriff Jacob Wulfsberg, Lieutenant Colonel Hans Jacob von Scheel, and Judge Ove Hiorth from Moss. A reward of 1000 daler was offered for information leading to his arrest. This led to Westerstrøm being reported by people he knew.

He was arrested on February 6, 1809, in Moss. After some initial denial, he confessed to the murders. The police found many of the stolen items in his possession, and he could also direct them to other hidden goods. Westerstrøm first claimed he acted out of depression, mentioning thoughts of suicide. He later said he wanted to become famous as the greatest criminal in Norwegian history. Finally, he suggested that he killed out of revenge against Jensen for ruining his engagement to a wealthy heiress.

On July 24, 1809, a commission sentenced him to a gruesome punishment involving torture and execution. However, this sentence was reduced on August 16 by the Supreme Court. Instead of torture, he was sentenced to be beheaded. King Frederik VI approved this decision on September 23, 1809.

Peter Westerstrøm was executed by beheading on October 27, 1809, in front of the prison in Moss. His last moments included a parson, Niels Wulfsberg, by his side, and the execution was carried out by Anton Lædel, who had performed several executions before. After 24 hours, his head was removed and buried next to his body.