An appeals court Thursday threw out the conviction of a career criminal accused of killing Prime Minister Olof Palme three years ago. Hours later, the defendant was freed from prison.
Judge Birgitta Blom of the Svea Court of Appeals said the court ruled there was not enough evidence to show that Christer Pettersson stalked and killed Palme as the Swedish leader left a movie theater with his wife Feb. 28, 1986.Pettersson was sentenced to life in prison and had been jailed since December.
"I'm surprised. I never really believed I would be acquitted, although I am innocent," Pettersson, 42, told the TT news agency after leaving Kronoberg Prison with his lawyer.
Blom, the president of the appellate court, told Swedish radio the decision to overturn the conviction was unanimous. The decision is the culmination of a sensational case that authorities have been accused of bungling since its inception.
Police for a year pursued a series of vastly different conspiracy theories before prosecuting Pettersson, a drug and alcohol abuser with a long criminal record. Pettersson was convicted in July even though no motive was established, no weapon was found and no witnesses testified to seeing the Swede fire five shots at the dynamic leader.
Pettersson's three-week appeal hearing was presided over by a jury of three laymen and four professional jurors. Their written verdict will be released Nov. 2.