The last execution in Medelpad - the Armsjö murder
When the ice broke up in April 1849, a man's body was found in a bend of the Ljungan River near Njurunda village. The corpse was badly affected by ice and water and half decomposed. However, it turned out that the corpse had four marks on the back of the head, which led to the suspicion that he had been killed. The corpse was identified as the farmhand Jon Andersson, previously housed by Johan Höglund, a charcoal burner. Soon, suspicions were directed at the farmhand's former employer Johan Höglund, and his neighbor Johan Andersson (also a charcoal burner). Johan Höglund and Johan Andersson had bought Christmas food and liquor before Christmas. However, it was known that they were both short of money, so the question was where they got this money from.The person leading the investigation was prosecutor Johan Wahlström. Johan Höglund's wife is also drawn into the criminal investigation. The two charcoal burners deny the deed, but after a while one of them gives in and admits that they robbed and murdered the farmhand Jon Andersson. They had dumped the body in the Ljungan River.The charcoal burners had lured Jon Andersson to a charcoal stack at Armsjö Lake. Here he was supposed to be paid for his service to Höglund, but instead, he was robbed of his money and murdered.Johan Höglund and Johan Andersson were both sentenced to death for murder with robbery and Johan Höglund's wife was sentenced to prison for accessory to murder.Höglund and Andersson were executed by beheading at the Njurunda parish execution site in Årskogen on the borderline between Medelpad and Hälsingland (about 30 km south of Sundsvall) on July 16, 1851.This was the last execution sentence handed down in Medelpad.
When the ice broke up in April 1849, a man's body was found in a bend of the Ljungan River near Njurunda village. The corpse was badly affected by ice and water and half decomposed. However, it turned out that the corpse had four marks on the back of the head, which led to the suspicion that he had been killed. The corpse was identified as the farmhand Jon Andersson, previously housed by Johan Höglund, a charcoal burner. Soon, suspicions were directed at the farmhand's former employer Johan Höglund, and his neighbor Johan Andersson (also a charcoal burner). Johan Höglund and Johan Andersson had bought Christmas food and liquor before Christmas. However, it was known that they were both short of money, so the question was where they got this money from.The person leading the investigation was prosecutor Johan Wahlström. Johan Höglund's wife is also drawn into the criminal investigation. The two charcoal burners deny the deed, but after a while one of them gives in and admits that they robbed and murdered the farmhand Jon Andersson. They had dumped the body in the Ljungan River.The charcoal burners had lured Jon Andersson to a charcoal stack at Armsjö Lake. Here he was supposed to be paid for his service to Höglund, but instead, he was robbed of his money and murdered.Johan Höglund and Johan Andersson were both sentenced to death for murder with robbery and Johan Höglund's wife was sentenced to prison for accessory to murder.Höglund and Andersson were executed by beheading at the Njurunda parish execution site in Årskogen on the borderline between Medelpad and Hälsingland (about 30 km south of Sundsvall) on July 16, 1851.This was the last execution sentence handed down in Medelpad.
