Ulf Olsson was born on December 19, 1951, in Sweden. He grew up in a troubled environment and struggled with mental health issues throughout his life. Described as socially withdrawn and having difficulty forming relationships, Olsson was known to have an unstable personality. He lived in various locations around Sweden and worked sporadic jobs, but he remained largely isolated from society.

As he grew older, Olsson displayed disturbing behavior. He engaged in harassing women with letters and phone calls, which hinted at his violent tendencies. However, he was never considered a significant threat until his DNA linked him to two brutal murders years after the crimes were committed.

On March 20, 1989, 10-year-old Helén Nilsson disappeared in Hörby, Sweden, while walking home. Her body was found six days later in a wooded area. She had been abducted, held captive for several days, sexually assaulted, and murdered. The case shocked Sweden, but despite extensive investigations, authorities could not identify her killer.

A few months later, on August 4, 1989, 26-year-old Jannica Ekblad, a woman working as a sex worker in Malmö, was found murdered. She had been strangled and left in an area near water. At the time, the police did not connect her case to Helén Nilsson’s murder.

The investigations into both murders went cold for over a decade. However, in 2002, advan ces in forensic technology allowed authorities to re-examine DNA evidence from both crime scenes. In 2004, Olsson was identified as a suspect and was asked to provide a DNA sample. The results showed a one in 43 million probability that he was the perpetrator. He was arrested and charged with both murders.

During his trial, recordings were discovered where Olsson appeared to talk to himself about the crimes, essentially confessing. Despite denying involvement, he was found guilty in 2005 and sentenced to indefinite psychiatric care due to his mental instability.

On January 10, 2010, Ulf Olsson committed suicide by hanging in his psychiatric facility. His death closed one of Sweden’s most notorious cold cases, but the horrific nature of his crimes continues to haunt Swedish history.