Warning: Graphic content, readers’ discretion advised. This story contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some readers discretion advised.
One of the most shocking cases of lies, twists and betrays in Swedish history is the tragic case of Tove Tönnies case from Vetlanda, Sweden.
The crime, the investigation, forensics, courts, interrogation, crime scene analysis, background, and an analysis on the motive.
The two youngest women to ever receive life imprisonment in Sweden, and what happened after.
One of Europe’s most gripping crime cases. Tove was a med student who was on a sabbatical and so wronged by her so-called friends. Real people. Real Crime. Historic sentencing of women under 21
The murder of Tove Tönnies is one of Sweden’s most shocking and publicized criminal cases in recent years, marked by betrayal, a long-simmering feud, and unprecedented sentencing for young women. It unfolded in the small town of Vetlanda and highlighted themes of female violence, manipulation, and the dark undercurrents of social relationships.
Tove, a 21-year-old woman from Vetlanda, had a troubled history with Johanna Leshem Jansson, also 21 at the time. The two had been friends in their youth but became bitter rivals over the years, fueled by personal conflicts, rumors, and social media drama.
Jansson had reportedly expressed violent intentions toward Tönnies to friends, including statements about wanting her dead.
On the evening of October 15, 2022, Tönnies was out at the local nightclub “Nöjet” in Vetlanda with friends.
Coincidentally, Jansson was there with her close friend Maja Hellman, aged 20.
The two groups crossed paths, leading to a heated physical altercation between Tönnies and Jansson inside the club. Witnesses described it as intense but not unusual for their ongoing feud.
As the night wound down, Tönnies left the club around 2:30 a.m. on October 16. Outside, she unexpectedly encountered Jansson and Hellman again. Despite the earlier fight, Jansson suggested they “talk it out” and reconcile. Tönnies, perhaps hoping to end the bad blood, agreed to join them at Jansson’s nearby apartment. This decision would prove fatal.
Once inside Jansson’s apartment, the atmosphere quickly deteriorated. What began as a tense conversation escalated into a brutal attack. According to prosecutors and trial
Jansson initiated the violence, punching and beating Tönnies,Hellman assisted by restraining Tönnies, holding her arms to prevent resistance,
Jansson then strangled Tönnies with her hands, leading to her death by asphyxiation. The attack lasted several minutes, and Tönnies fought back desperately but was overpowered.
In a further act of desecration, the perpetrators dismembered Tönnies’ body using tools from the apartment. They placed the remains in plastic bags and disposed of them in nearby woods and a dumpster.
The body was not discovered until weeks later, on November 3, 2022, after a tip led police to search the area. Tönnies had been reported missing the day after her disappearance, but initial searches yielded nothing due to the remote disposal sites.
The case was compounded by evidence of body desecration (crimes against the peace of the grave), as the women had mutilated and scattered the remains to cover their tracks. Phone records, CCTV footage from the club, and witness statements from mutual friends pieced together the timeline, while digital forensics revealed Jansson’s prior threats.
Tönnies’ disappearance sparked a massive police investigation in Vetlanda, a town of about 12,000 people.
Suspicion quickly fell on Jansson and Hellman due to their feud and the club’s security footage showing them leaving together with Tönnies. Both women were arrested on October 28, 2022—less than two weeks after the murder.
Jansson confessed to the strangling but claimed it was impulsive,Hellmanadmitted to helping move the body but denied intent to kill,portaying herself ascoerced by Jansson .
Forensic evidence, including DNA on the plastic bags and tools, contradicted their stories and linked both directly to the crime scene. The investigation, led by SVT crime reporters Karin Fagerlund and Lasse Lampers, uncovered a web of lies, including false alibis and attempts to manipulate witnesses.
The trial began on March 27, 2023, at the Växjö District Court. Prosecutors argued it was a premeditated joint murder, citing Jansson’s prior statements and the coordinated disposal. The defense claimed diminished responsibility due to alcohol and youth.
On April 19, 2023, both women were convicted of murder and crimes against the peace of the grave. In a landmark ruling, they became the first women under 21 in Swedish history to receive life imprisonment—the maximum penalty, typically reserved for adults over 21. Life sentences in Sweden can be reviewed for parole after 18–24 years, but they are rare for minors.
Jansson’s life sentence was reduced to 16 years for murder (she was deemed the primary perpetrator with intent to kill).
Hellman was acquitted of murder but convicted as an accessory, receiving 1 year and 6 months for the grave desecration.
This adjustment reflected debates on culpability: Jansson as the instigator, Hellman as an enabler. As of 2025, Jansson remains incarcerated, while Hellman was released after serving her shorter term. The case continues to influence discussions on youth sentencing in Sweden.
Tove’s family described her as vibrant and forgiving, devastated by the betrayal from someone she once called a friend. The case underscores broader issues: the role of alcohol in violence, the lethality of female rivalries, and the psychological toll of feuds amplified by social media.