Fredrick Von Sydow
Mass murderer
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- Gender
- male
- Country
- Sweden
- Location
- Stockholm /Uppsala, Sweden
- Date of birth
- June 4, 1908
- Age at first offence
- 24
- Characteristics
- parricide, spree killer
- Victim profile
- His father Hjalmar von Sydow and two maids / His wife Sofie
- Method of murder
- Bludgeoned to death with an iron bar / Shooting
- Date(s) of murder
- March 7, 1932
- Years active
- 1932
- Date of arrest
- —
- Status
-
Died in custody
Committed suicide the same day Fredrik von Sydow was a law student who became known for the "Sydow murders" in Stockholm and Uppsala on 7 March 1932.
Background
Fredrik von Sydow (1908 – 7 March 1932) came from an upperclass family in Stockholm and studied Law at Uppsala University.
His father was Hjalmar von Sydow, who was a conservative member of parliament and the managing director and chairman of the Swedish Employers' Federation.
Two maids were employed in the household.
The offence
On 7 March 1932, Fredrik von Sydow’s father, Hjalmar von Sydow, and two maids employed in the household were found dead in the family residence in Stockholm. They were bludgeoned to death with an iron bar.
The same day, Fredrik von Sydow shot his wife and himself to death.
Investigation
Even though the police soon came to suspect the son, Fredrik, it took a few hours before they were able to locate him.
Arrest
Fredrik von Sydow was not arrested. The circumstances ended with him committing suicide.
Other details
Fredrik von Sydow’s wife was Sofie. Fredrik von Sydow took a taxi with his wife Sofie to Uppsala, where they entered the restaurant of Hotel Gillet and ordered Champagne, caviar and oysters.
When the police eventually arrived to the restaurant, Fredrik von Sydow took up a gun and shot his wife and himself to death.
The motives of Fredrik von Sydow have never been clarified.
The relative prominence and public position of the family made the murders a significant scandal and the object of much speculation.
The writer Sigfrid Siwertz wrote a play, Ett brott ("A crime", 1933), based on the murders. A 1940 film of the same name was based on the play.
In the early 21st century, two books were written about the Sydow murders: Uppsala attorney Anders Frigell’s von Sydowmordens gåta ("The riddle of the von Sydow murders"; Uppsala: Uppsala Publ. House, 2002) and the novel I skuggan av ett brott ("In the shadow of a crime", Stockholm: Bromberg, 2004) by the writer Helena Henschen, who is herself a granddaughter of Hjalmar and niece of Fredrik von Sydow.
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