The remains of a woman discovered in a nature reserve have been identified as those of Marina Johansson, who disappeared in western Sweden two years ago. Her body, wrapped in tarpaulin and hidden in a mattress, was found 10kms from her home by volunteer organisation Missing People.
“Her identity has been confirmed through her dental records,” the police said in a statement on Wednesday (April 18).
The 31-year-old woman was reported missing by her mother on July 28th, 2010. Although police found nothing in his house, her ex-boyfriend was arrested two days later but subsequently released. Five months after this, however, new tenants found a blood-stained mattress that had been missed by police, and a further inspection of the house uncovered a bullet hole with bone fragments nearby.
Miss Johansson’s ex-boyfriend was charged with her murder but acquitted as there was not enough evidence to support the claims. The case drew widespread attention, especially as Marina’s body was never found.
“We had a hunch that it was her from the very beginning,” Jessicka Kangasniemi, chairwoman of Missing People told Aftonbladet . “What is the most important is that the parents have been in the dark for so long about the whereabouts of their daughter. And now the police’s work can continue.” said.
Police are classifying the case as suspected murder and will now examine the remains for forensic evidence of the perpetrators.
“We have found a body and all points to the person having been murdered. Therefore we begin a preliminary investigation into murder. We have no suspect at this point,” Ulla Brehm, spokesperson for the Västra Götaland County police told the paper.
“It could take days or weeks, but we won’t get anywhere before that,” Björ Blixter of the local police told TT. “Only the guilty person and we know what we may have found on the site,” he added.