
A Scream in the Night: Sweden's Most Haunting Cases
Season 12 of Svenske krimsaker examines the disappearances and crimes that shook a nation
Quick Facts
In May 2018, police in Örebro, Sweden received a report that would haunt the nation: mother of three Lena Wesström had vanished from her home. What made the case particularly chilling was a witness account—someone had heard heart-wrenching screams from a woman on the very night Lena disappeared. Those screams would become the focal point of the Swedish true crime documentary series *Svenske krimsaker* (Swedish Crime Cases), which examines the country's most alarming and perplexing criminal cases.
*Svenske krimsaker* has established itself as one of Scandinavia's most unflinching documentary series, described by creators as offering "alarmingly thorough documentaries about murders that stopped Sweden in its tracks." The series returns in 2024 with Season 12, Episode 1, titled "Ett skrik i natten" (A Scream in the Night)—a 42-minute investigation into cases that have left lasting marks on Swedish society.
The episode's centerpiece is the Lena Wesström disappearance. The circumstances surrounding her vanishing remain among Sweden's most troubling unsolved or ongoing cases. The witness testimony of screams heard the night she disappeared adds a visceral, disturbing element to an already mysterious case. For viewers accustomed to neat resolutions in true crime narratives, the Wesström case offers something far more unsettling: the echo of a woman's voice in the dark, unanswered questions, and a family left searching for answers.
Beyond the Wesström case, the episode and broader series context examines other deeply troubling incidents that have defined Swedish crime reporting. The disappearance of Maud Johansson, first reported missing on October 18, 2005, represents another case that has consumed investigative resources for years without clear resolution. These missing persons cases form part of a pattern that has captured national attention and media scrutiny.


