Sweden's Palme Murder Mystery Gets New Scrutiny in Documentary
A four-part series examines investigator Jan Stocklassa's findings from Stieg Larsson's archives on the unsolved 1986 assassination
On the evening of February 28, 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was fatally shot on Sveavägen street in central Stockholm as he walked home from a cinema with his wife, Lisbeth. He died at Sabbatsberg Hospital less than an hour later. The assassination triggered what would become the world's largest murder investigation—yet 34 years on, no one has been convicted.
Now, Swedish broadcaster Kanal 5 has released *Palmemordet: Den stora mörkläggningen* ("The Palme Murder: The Great Cover-Up"), a four-episode documentary series that reopens the case through the eyes of investigator Jan Stocklassa. Directed by Matt Rudge and produced by David Batty and Rebecca Hayman, the series premiered on May 24, 2023, and is available on platforms including Apple TV and Plex.
The documentary is based on Stocklassa's research into the private archives of Stieg Larsson, the late Swedish journalist and author best known for *The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo*. Larsson spent years investigating the Palme case before his death in 2004. Stocklassa's book *Stieg Larsson's Archive - The Key to the Palme Murder* formed the foundation for the series, which has been translated into 27 languages, signaling international interest in the case.
