A teenage girl was kidnapped, tied up and murdered while on her way to a sleepover in Sweden.
Emilia Sjoberg, 14, was found dead in the southern Swedish town of Landskrona last week. She was bound with silver tape and had several cuts and bruises on her body, local media reported.
Two girls, both aged 15, have reportedly been arrested in connection with Emilia’s kidnapping and murder.
Police say they were friends of Emilia and invited her to a sleepover before luring her to an industrial estate near the local train station, where they killed her.
Chief investigator Kenth Pehrsson said Emilia’s body showed signs of “severe violence” but did not reveal the cause of her death.
Emilia Sjoberg (pictured), 14, was found dead in the southern Swedish town of Landskrona last week.
Emilia (pictured above in 2023) was bound with silver tape and had several cuts and bruises on her body, local media reported.
Two girls, both aged 15, have reportedly been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Emilia (pictured).
Police say they were friends of Emilia and invited her to a sleepover before luring her to an industrial estate near the local train station (crime scene pictured above) where they killed her.
“She was found with such injuries and in such circumstances that we suspect that her life was taken and that she had previously been deprived of her liberty,” added prosecutor Tomas Olvmyr.
Emilia is believed to have been killed sometime between July 21 and 22, according to local court documents, and her body was found shortly after midnight on Tuesday, July 23.
The first girl, aged 15, was arrested in connection with Emilia’s kidnapping and murder on Wednesday, before the second 15-year-old was detained a day later.
According to the prosecutor, one of the girls confessed to having been involved in the crime and also provided information about the reasons why everything turned out the way it did.
The girl’s lawyer, Maria Stahl Lindgren, confirmed to local media that her client had spoken to police, and the prosecutor added that both girls had made “certain concessions” to investigators.
“It is clear that these three know each other. Both suspects know each other and both know the complainant,” the prosecutor said.
The motive for the brutal murder was a fight over an insult, according to information obtained by the Swedish newspaper Express – with Emilia’s mother, Anna Sjoberg, claiming that she is being discredited. Afton Leaf that her daughter was murdered because of jealousy of a boy.
One of the suspects reportedly told police there had been no plans to kill Emilia and that the fight had “gone out of control.”
But Expressen reports that the girls had prepared for the encounter by stealing silver tape and a knife from several shops.
The 15-year-old, who was initially arrested for the murder, was reportedly in the same youth shelter where Emilia lived until recently. She remains in custody, while the other girl has been taken in by social services.
The girls even filmed part of the attack, in which they are seen brutally beating Emilia, according to Expressen.
On Thursday, local police and coastguards searched the port near the industrial estate, but did not specify what they were looking for. Two days earlier, a bag containing Emilia’s bank cards and other belongings was found in the water.
The motive for the brutal murder was a fight over an insult, according to information obtained by Swedish newspaper Expressen, with Emilia’s mother, Anna Sjoberg (pictured right with Emilia on left), telling Aftonbladet that her daughter was killed out of jealousy.
On Thursday, local police and coastguards searched the port next to the industrial estate (pictured), but did not say what they were looking for.
Later that day, chief investigator Pehrsson said police had found a knife near the crime scene, which they did not rule out as the murder weapon. He added that a second knife had also been seized.
Emilia’s mother, Anna Sjoberg, 33, told local media the family is struggling to come to terms with her daughter’s death: “I can’t accept that she’s dead. We’re in shock. Every time she rings, I double-check if it’s her. I’m in complete denial.”
-We haven’t accepted it yet, we won’t accept it until we see it.
Police told the family they have identified Emilia, although the results of a DNA test and comparison of dental records are still pending, according to her mother.
Ms Sjoberg, who had Emilia when she was 19, said the family had not been allowed to see Emilia’s body and hoped to do so this week.
“When the police came with a priest and told me they had bad news, I replied that they couldn’t tell me because my father and mother were already dead,” said a devastated Ms Sjoberg.
She added that since she was informed of her daughter’s death early last week, she has been in disbelief: “I don’t understand why anyone would want to hurt her.”
Emilia’s mother Anna Sjoberg (pictured), 33, told local media the family is struggling to come to terms with her daughter’s death: “I can’t accept that she’s dead. We’re in shock. Every time the phone rings, I double-check if it’s her. I’m in complete denial.”
A childhood photograph of Emilia shows her carefully petting a cat while wearing a pink dress.
“My daughter was an angel who always stood up for everyone. Maybe this world wasn’t ready for her,” said Ms Sjoberg (pictured)
“My daughter was an angel who always stood up for everyone. Maybe this world was not ready for her,” she told Swedish broadcaster TV4 Nyheterna.
Ms Sjoberg said her daughter was stressed about the sleepover and argued with her, before Emilia texted her while they were on the train.
“I’m sorry, Mom, for having misbehaved because I was stressed. I love you and you are my life,” said Emilia’s last message to her mother.
The two had recently started living together after Emilia was placed in a home at age 5.
“We were going to start from scratch and plan what our house would look like. I had just finished building her a dressing table and she had to choose other furniture. She was very happy,” her mother told TV4.
Mrs Sjoberg said Emilia’s new furniture would arrive in a few days. “I’ll put it up anyway and close the door to her room. I want them to stay, I don’t want to forget about her,” she said.
A memorial service for Emilia is planned for today.