Per Anders Eklund (born August 6, 1965) is a Swedish murderer and rapist convicted of killing a 31-year-old woman in 2000 and a 10-year-old girl in 2008. Eklund is also a suspect in other murder cases currently under investigation, including the unsolved 1994 murder of Malin Olsson in Gothenburg.

On October 6, 2008, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the two murders, one rape in Sandviken 2006 and on child pornography charges.

Eklund's case became the most noted and most followed criminal case in Sweden during 2008, along with the crimes of Christine Schürrer.

Höglund murder

On April 5, 2008, 10-year-old Engla Juncosa Höglund went missing on her way home from football practice in Stjärnsund, Sweden. When she did not answer her mobile phone, Engla Höglund's mother, Carina Höglund, went looking for her. Carina Höglund found her daughter's abandoned bicycle in the woods.

A person had taken photos after testing his new digital camera on the road and snapped a photo of Höglund on her way home. He had also snapped a photo of a car following the girl; the photo was of a red Saab 900 driven by Eklund. After the photographer stepped forward, Eklund was arrested and told police where to find Höglund's body on April 13, 2008.

Höglund's death became headline news, as most people had high hopes of finding the girl alive. Höglund's funeral on May 10, 2008 was broadcast live on television on SVT1, the first time in Swedish television history any such broadcast was made.

Hellgren murder

On June 4, 2000 in Falun, 31-year-old Pernilla Hellgren was found murdered. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted. A young girl on her way home had witnessed the attack, and told investigators that she saw a man following Hellgren on her way home from a party in central Falun. DNA found on Hellgren's body matched that of Eklund, who confessed to both murders when he was presented with the evidence.

Trial

On July 18, 2008, Eklund's trial began. He was charged with two murders, two rapes and child pornography charges. He was found guilty in August and declared not mentally ill. On October 6, 2008, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the two murders, one rape in Sandviken 2006 and on child pornography charge.

Pernilla Hellgren 'was not supposed to die'

TT/Peter Vinthagen Simpson - Thelocal.se

21 Jul 08

Murder suspect Anders Eklund admitted in court today that he raped 31-year-old Pernilla Hellgren in Falun in 2000 before killing her. Eklund has previously admitted to killing both Pernilla Hellgren and 10-year-old Engla Juncosa Höglund.

The first day of Eklund's trial at Stockholm district court on Monday was dedicated to the murder and rape of Pernilla Hellgren in Falun in 2000. Eklund admitted to raping Hellgren before killing her.

Anders Eklund had previously admitted to both killings when he was presented with DNA evidence from the Hellgren case.

Anders Eklund has admitted to raping and strangling 10-year-old Engla Juncosa Höglund in Stjärnsund in April 2008.

Eklund appeared unmoved when the prosecutor detailed the injuries on Pernilla Hellgen's body when she was found. He initially claimed that Hellgren had consented to having sex with him. Eklund later confessed that Hellgren had tried to flee and that the sex was not consensual.

"I grabbed her from behind or maybe I pushed her over."

He asked for forgiveness for the murder.

"She was not supposed to die," Eklund said before bursting into tears.

"Forgive me," he repeated.

Eklund related how everything went wrong.

"There was no logic. There is a kind Anders and an evil Anders."

Hellgren's father Christer Lundin attended court proceedings on Monday morning.

"It is a relief that it gets going so that we can seek closure and that Pernilla can rest in peace. The last few days have been emotional."

When asked by news agency TT how it felt to read the newspapers, Lundin replied:

"It is horrible to see new stories every day about what he did to my daughter. It has been enormously emotional."

Anders Eklund has not himself read the newspapers in prison. But he has seen TV coverage, said Eklund's lawyer Leif Silbersky.

"He understands the enormous pressure he will be subjected to. I have tried to prepare him for the onslaught," said Silbersky.

He argues that Eklund can not be convicted of raping neither Pernilla nor Engla if he is he also convicted of murder.

"The murder consumes the rapes. Jurisprudence dictates that one can not be convicted of both," said Silbersky.

The trial is expected to continue for four days which is being held in the secure room of Stockholm district court due to threats directed at Eklund.

Engla's mother Carina Högglund will attend court together with the girl's step-father when her murder is considered by the court on Tuesday.

"They will be present at the indictment. The plaintiff can do so if, for example, they would want to express an opinion about the penalty to be served on the accused," said the family's counsel Catharina Wikner to news agency TT.