01x06 - Chapter 6

[bunniefuu]

[unsettling music playing]

A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY

[tense music playing]

[Chris yelling indistinctly]

[Amina yelling indistinctly]

[panicked gasping]

[Chris] No!

[screaming]

[breathing heavily]

[gentle sobbing]

[sniffles]

[bangs door] Hello?

[breathing shakily]

Hello?

Hello?

I can't breathe. Hello?

[panicked breathing]

Is there anyone there?

[sobbing]

[door unlocking]

[Nalle] Stella?

What you doing?

You can't stay down there.

Come here. Get up.

Oi, oi, oi. [exhales sharply]

[sighs]

[tap running]

[sighs]

Hey

It's okay to be nervous, you know.

I'd be nervous before a trial.

I just don't know

what to say about it all

Say what you need to, Stella.

[footsteps fading]

Uh, your lawyer has sent you some clothes

to wear today for for the trial.

I'll come and get you

when you're ready, okay.

Hey.

[Nalle chuckles]

[suspenseful music playing]

[suspenseful music continues]

[doorbell rings]

[doorbell ringing]

- Hi.

- Hi. Something wrong?

- Can we talk inside?

- Yeah, sure, come in.

Mikael. Amina Besic will provide

new information in her testimony.

Ulrika, what's going on?

Press Amina about Stella

If Stella is violent and so on,

And then hand it over to the prosecutor.

But but

she's merely a character witness.

- What are you after?

- I can't say any more now.

You must believe me.

You'll find out later.

I promise.

Okay.

Thank you. Thank you.

Uh, we can't carry on like this,

I'm afraid. Sorry.

I must focus upon my family, for

for Stella and for Adam.

Uh um

[sniffles] This is just wrong.

We said from the start that

it mustn't turn into anything serious.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we did. It's all right.

If that's what you want

Mm. I can't anymore.

So goodbye, Mikael.

- [door opens]

- [buzzing]

[heavy metal gate sliding open]

[journalist] Today, sees the beginning

of the trial of a young woman

charged for the m*rder

of the entrepreneur, Christoffer Olsen.

The prosecution has called

several witnesses for this trial,

But the defence

has only summoned two witnesses,

including the defendant's father,

who is her alibi

for the night of the m*rder.

[suspenseful music playing]

[Ulrika] Um

- I'll go in now, okay?

- Mm.

So I'll see you soon.

Okay.

[Mikael] Try to be as specific as you can.

Be clear and don't say

anything we haven't discussed.

Do you understand?

- Yeah.

- Good.

[door opens, closes]

Good morning. My name is Hannah Lejon,

and I will lead this hearing

and preside over this court.

Now will the prosecutor

present the petition?

It asks that Stella Sandell

Is convicted of m*rder.

On 7th October,

Stella Sandell intentionally deprived

Christoffer Olsen of his life

by inflicting upon him

several life-threatening s*ab wounds.

She then left him

bleeding to death and helpless,

dying in agony.

[Hannah] And what is

the defendant's position?

Stella Sandell is innocent.

Now we'll begin

by questioning Stella Sandell.

Can you please tell the court,

In your own words,

about the events

for which you are being charged

and anything else you may know?

Where should I begin?

[Hanna] Uh,

did you know Christoffer Olsen?

[Stella] Yes.

Okay. Can you please tell the court

what occurred on the night of 7th October?

Well, I was at work, like usual.

Amina and I had decided

to meet up afterwards at Inferno.

So, let's see.

Is that Amina Besic,

who is testifying here later?

Mm. But when I got there,

she wasn't there.

[exhales deeply]

Uh,

I I sent her a couple of messages,

but she never answered,

and I went looking

in a couple of other places.

In the end, I went over to Chris's place

to see if she was there.

But but when I got there, the door

was locked and, uh, no one answered.

- So

- So, what did you do then?

I, um

went home.

And then I went to bed.

[Hannah] Thank you.

Prosecution.

Stella, so you claim that you went

to Christopher Olsen's home

on the night of 7th October,

but nobody let you in?

Yeah.

[Jenny] And then you left?

Mm, that's correct.

Which way did you go?

The way that crosses

the, um, parking area.

So, you didn't leave via Tegnérplatsen,

which is behind Christoffer Olsen's block?

[[Stella] Not that I remember, no.

Well, according to our investigations,

an imprint was discovered there.

Of a shoe.

Your shoe, Stella.

How could that be, in your opinion?

I don't know.

There are many people who wear those.

Describe your feelings

towards Christoffer Olsen.

Well, I liked him.

You liked him?

So, were you in love with him?

[tense music playing]

I'm not sure.

Is it not the case

that you were worried and afraid

that your best friend, Amina Besic,

was also in love with him?

And that those feelings were mutual?

No.

[Jenny] Because you contacted Amina

multiple times that evening,

sent a number of text messages.

And you wrote texts like,

"Where are you? Are you with Chris?"

I was anxious

when she didn't turn up at Inferno.

She'd never failed before to, uh, turn up.

And then when she didn't show,

I got worried.

Yeah, you were actually worried

that your best friend had also begun

- a relationship with Olsen

- No.

And that's why you went

to his home that night.

- Not out of concern, but out of anger

- No.

- And suspicion.

- No, it wasn't like that.

- [sighs]

- [Jenny] Thank you.

No further questions.

[sighs]

[woman over PA] Louise Nyman

to Courtroom One to give her testimony.

[Jenny] Louise Nyman.

Where were you

on the evening of 7th October?

I was at Bar Shotluckan with my friends.

[Jenny] Kerstin Boström.

What is your relationship

with the defendant?

Uh I run Grandma's bakery.

Um, I'm Stella's boss there.

How would you describe

Stella's state of mind that evening?

Unstable, really.

She just took my phone from me.

[Kerstin] She said it was pepper spray,

and that she always carried it

when she went out.

Well she was upset.

- Angry.

- Angry as in aggressive?

Yeah. I'd say she was aggressive.

[Jenny] Can you tell the court

where you work?

I work in forensics

for the police in Lund.

We found a shoe print

next to a puddle of water,

one meter away

from Christoffer Olsen's body.

[Jenny] You lived next door

to Christoffer Olsen,

and you've told us

that you saw Stella Sandell.

[man] Uh, yes.

Uh, I saw her on the street

below my window.

And then, um,

I heard a loud shriek

from the, uh, car park.

[Jenny] How can you be certain

that this particular print

came from the same shoe

that Stella Sandell wore?

We know because we examined her shoes,

and found microfibres from one of them

at the crime scene.

So it is beyond doubt that

that is the shoe

that left the imprint there.

[Jenny] Around what time did this happen?

It was close to midnight.

And those screams, I'll never forget them.

They chilled me to the marrow.

That must have been when she stabbed him.

[Jenny] Thank you. No further questions.

[woman over PA] Adam Sandell

to Courtroom One to give his testimony.

[door opens]

[Hannah] Mr Sandell. Please take a seat.

[door closes]

[Hannah] Adam Sandell,

you will now be asked

about the events

that took place on 7th October this year.

As a parent of the defendant,

you are not required

to take the oath as a witness,

so you are not testifying

under criminal liability.

But, uh, I must remind you

that it is ill-advised

to say anything that is untrue

here in court.

- Is that understood?

- Yeah.

Your witness, Mr Blomberg.

Thank you.

Adam, I know that this is difficult,

so I'll try to keep it short.

Would you like to start

by telling us what you do for a living?

I'm a priest

[clears throat]

[sighs]

a priest in the Church of Sweden,

and have been for eight years.

[Mikael] Can you tell us a bit

about your relationship with Stella?

Stella

is my whole world.

[Mikael] How, um how are things at home?

[Adam] It's been good at times.

[exhales sharply] But not always.

Nothing's as hard as being a parent.

[Mikael] Could you tell us

what you remember

from the evening of 7th October?

I was home.

Uh, Stella was going

she was going out with her friend Amina.

My wife, um

she was working late.

I couldn't sleep. I'm always

a bit worried when Stella goes out.

But I must've nodded off

'cause I woke when she came home.

Um, what time was that?

11:55.

[Mikael] 11:55 p.m.?

- You're sure of that?

- [Adam] I'm certain.

I checked the time

when I heard her come home.

[Mikael] Thank you.

[Hannah] Prosecution.

[Jenny] You are certain

Stella came home at 11:55 p.m.

because you checked the time

the moment she got back.

Is that correct?

I see that you're nodding,

so I take that as a yes.

[clears throat] Yeah, yeah. That's right.

[Jenny] During the investigation,

we managed to recover

several text messages from your phone

that were sent that evening.

SMS messages that you deleted.

And from the transcripts,

we see one was sent at 12:02 a.m.

"When will you be home?"

And another one at 12:23 a.m.

"Can you please answer?"

It seems very strange to me

that you would have sent her text messages

after Stella came home.

Yeah, well I don't know

if I think it's all that strange.

[Jenny] No? In what sense?

Uh, it's happened to me

and and others, too, so I've heard

that every now and then,

when I've tried to send a text,

the message hasn't gone,

Well not straight away.

There are delays sometimes.

So, you're saying

that these text messages

that you sent at 12:02 and 12:23

were sent earlier that evening

but just not delivered till later?

That's right.

You know that every now and again

the network can fail, don't you?

So, network failure, then?

Mm.

Well, we've heard the defence portray you

as an upstanding member of the community,

a committed priest,

and a devoted father.

But the fact is

that you've consistently

obstructed this investigation,

isn't that so?

You have tried to harass me.

You have tried to shift our suspicion

onto someone other than your daughter.

[Adam] I have only tried

to make sure that

we're doing all we can

to get to the truth.

So, "all that you can,"

does that include

getting rid of incriminating evidence?

I don't know what you mean by that.

Clothes that Stella wore that evening,

according to witnesses,

blue jeans, grey hoodie.

We haven't been able to find them.

Nor have we been able to find

Stella's phone. How do you explain that?

Well, I know nothing about that. I can't.

[Jenny] Ahem.

Thank you. No further questions.

Thank you, Adam.

The court will now adjourn for today.

We will reconvene tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.

[indistinct whispering]

It was my birthday yesterday.

Oh, I'm sorry, Adam.

I completely forgot.

And me.

I remembered just now.

Another year has passed.

We might know the verdict

this time tomorrow.

Then it's over.

[Adam] Mm.

[solemn suspenseful music playing]

[rain pattering]

[door opens]

[loud rock music playing in distance]

Chris!

Chris, hello!

- [breathing heavily]

- [suspenseful music playing]

[suspenseful music continues]

[loud rock music playing in distance]

[rock music playing loudly]

[music fades]

[gentle buzz of conversations]

So [clears throat]

Good morning.

This brings us to

the final witness of this trial.

[woman] Amina Besic to Courtroom One

to give her testimony.

[Hannah] Hello, Amina.

Uh, you can sit there. Thank you.

You will now take the oath of testimony

by repeating after me

"I, Amina Besic"

[Amina] I, Amina Besic

[Hannah] "do solemnly swear

upon my conscience"

do solemnly swear upon my conscience

[Hannah] "to tell the whole truth.

I will not withhold"

[Amina]to tell the whole truth.

I will not withhold

[Hannah] "embellish, nor amend anything."

Embellish, nor amend anything.

- I hand over to the defence.

- [Mikael] Thank you.

Amina Besic, can you tell us

about your relationship with Stella?

Uh Stella, um, she is my best friend.

We were in the same class since year nine.

Also, we played handball

together at school.

What's your relationship like now?

She's still my best friend.

[Mikael] How would you describe Stella

as a person?

[Amina] There's no one like her.

She is

strong.

Stubborn.

And she will stand up for her beliefs.

And have you ever known Stella

to be violent?

[Amina] No.

No.

Do you think

she could have m*rder*d Christoffer Olsen?

Absolutely not.

[Mikael] No.

Thank you.

[Hannah] Prosecution.

Amina, uh, how well

did you know Christoffer Olsen?

Not very well at all.

Were you attracted to him?

No, not at all.

[Jenny] Mm. Eh, we've gone through your

And, uh, and that night

I told him I wasn't.

[suspenseful music playing]

Uh, that night? Um

Do you mean the night of the m*rder?

[Amina] Yes.

Uh, so you

so you saw Christoffer Olsen

on the same night he was m*rder*d?

Yeah.

It's just

in your police interview,

you stated that you went straight home

from the bar that night.

It is not true.

[indistinct background chatter]

GOT HERE EARLY

WAITING BY THE BAR

[dance music playing]

Hi.

- What?

- You okay?

Um, yeah.

- Waiting for Stella, huh?

- Mm.

She said you were going out,

but didn't know it was here.

Coincidence.

Well, actually,

Lund's not that big really.

[clears throat] Sadly

Do you not like me?

Well, it's not surprising.

You and Stella are best friends,

and I've come between you.

[clears throat]

You haven't come between us.

You know that the first night

we met at, uh Mejeriet?

You were the one I was interested in.

So I do worry

that I picked the wrong friend.

Trust me.

Don't bother worrying about it.

[typing on phone keypad]

[message sent whoosh]

Look, uh, sorry.

That was, uh wrong,

what I said just now.

I was nervous,

and I get the feeling that you dislike me.

So, uh

uh so forgive me?

It was a stupid thing to say.

I'm sorry.

Um I brought a peace pipe.

Cheers.

[glass clinking echoes eerily]

[music, indistinct chatter fade]

[ominous music playing]

[heavy rain pattering]

[unsettling music playing]

I'm sorry

You okay? Hey, Amina!

[heavy rain pattering]

[unsettling music continues]

[car door opens]

Amina.

Are you okay?

[Amina] What?

- Hey, are you okay? Come here.

- No.

Come. I'll drive you home.

- No, I'm all right.

- No. Don't be silly.

Here.

[ominous music playing]

No

[typing]

[Amina breathes shakily]

Don't

WHERE ARE YOU?

ARE YOU WITH CHRIS?

(GOT A HEADACHE

I WENT HOME, BUT I'M OKAY:)

[message sent whoosh]

[Amina whispers] Stella

S so, you got in the car

with Christoffer Olsen,

and went to his place?

Yeah.

[Jenny] Okay, and what happened there?

[sighs]

He r*ped me.

[shocked gasping]

[Jenny] I'm sorry?

Christoffer Olsen drugged and r*ped me.

Why haven't you said this till now?

[Hannah] Would you like

to take a break, Amina?

No.

Didn't think anyone would believe me

if I told the truth.

I know that Chris's ex, Linda Levander,

tried to report him for the same thing.

No one believed her.

I feel like

I must speak out.

Stella was r*ped years ago,

at a handball camp.

Her parents said

there was no point reporting it.

Because she would be

questioned and blamed.

And the man who did it

would likely be found not guilty.

[clears throat]

So, you you're saying

that Christoffer Olsen

r*ped you in his flat

on the night of October 7th?

Yeah.

And what did you do then?

[tense music playing]

[inhales shakily, sighs]

When it was done, um,

well, I ran out of his flat

and went home.

As I fled from his living room, I

Knocked over a vase

that was on a chest of drawers

in the hallway.

It shattered.

The next morning, I heard he

was dead.

Amina, you've stated

that Stella is your best friend, right?

- Mm.

- [Jenny] So [chuckles]

How are we to know

that this not a fabrication

so that you can shift focus from Stella

to the alleged actions of a dead man?

A man who has

no means of defending himself.

How are we supposed to believe

that you were even

in Christoffer Olsen's flat that evening

when you've continuously said

that you went home?

I was there.

Christoffer Olsen drugged and r*ped me.

Thank you. That will be all.

[Hannah] Thank you, Amina.

Now we will now briefly adjourn

before hearing your closing statements.

[Dino sighs]

If there are two potential suspects

at the scene of a m*rder,

the prosecutor must be able to prove

which one of them committed the m*rder

or that the two suspects acted together.

If you inform the police now,

then they will do all that they can

to get you both convicted.

So, if this is going to work,

you have to wait for the trial.

It has to come as a surprise

to the prosecution.

You understand?

I introduce the possibility

of an alternative culprit.

Exactly.

[door opens]

So, you knew?

All along?

[Ulrika] Yeah.

So, why didn't you tell me?

So you wouldn't have to lie, Adam.

[tense music playing]

So, you know

what happened that night, then?

You know how he d*ed?

Yeah.

Do you even want to know?

No.

[woman over PA] Proceedings now resume

in Courtroom One.

Okay.

[suspenseful music playing]

[voices murmuring indistinctly]

[Hannah] Well, that brings us

to the closing statements.

So the prosecution may now proceed.

LUND DISTRICT COUR

My understanding is

that the indictment is sound

and that Stella Sandell

should be convicted

for the m*rder of Christoffer Olsen,

and sentenced

according to the severity of the crime.

Based on the evidence presented,

it has been proven

that all the s*ab wounds inflicted

on Christoffer Olsen were fatal.

And the presence

of Stella Sandell's shoe imprint

proves that she was present

at the crime scene

around the time of the m*rder.

Christoffer Olsen had traces

of pepper spray in his eyes.

When Stella was apprehended,

she had a can of pepper spray.

Stella Sandell had motive.

She was jealous that Christoffer Olsen

had begun a relationship

with her best friend, Amina Besic.

The testimony provided to the court

by Amina Besic

can be seen as

an ex post facto fabrication,

and should therefore be disregarded.

In conclusion, the evidence of the defence

does not negate in any way

evidence that I have submitted.

Stella Sandell committed m*rder

and should be sentenced

to 18 years in prison.

Thank you.

[Hannah] Proceed, Mr Blomberg.

The only thing the prosecution

has proved in this hearing

is that my client was

in the vicinity of Mr Olsen's home

on the night in question.

On the other hand,

this process has determined

that Amina Besic was also

at the crime scene that night.

So, both Amina Besic and Stella Sandell

could have been close to the scene

when Christoffer Olsen d*ed.

The prosecution has

neither a m*rder w*apon

or physical evidence

proving that the m*rder happened

in the manner they have claimed.

Thus, it is by no means

proven beyond reasonable doubt

that my client is responsible

for the death of Christopher Olsen.

The only option is to dismiss the case

and acquit Stella Sandell.

[Hannah] Thank you.

Then this, uh, hearing is now concluded.

We now will remain in this room

while we consider all of the evidence.

I kindly ask you all to wait outside

while we deliberate.

[tense music playing]

[handcuffs closing]

[tense music playing]

[rock music playing loudly]

[Chris] Lie still, I said.

Stop it!

Stay there.

Stay there.

Lie back.

Not so up yourself now, are you?

Huh? Not so up yourself now, are you?

[suspenseful music playing]

[Chris] Look at me.

Look at me!

[Chris yelps, grunts]

[Amina breathing heavily]

[Chris] f*ck!

Come here!

[Amina gasps]

ANALYSIS: ALL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS

THAT THE 19-YEAR-OLD IS GUILTY

[woman over PA] Verdict to be delivered

in Courtroom One.

[buzz of conversations]

[door opens]

[voices murmuring indistinctly]

[clears throat] This court has deliberated

and will now deliver its verdict.

[suspenseful music playing]

The evidence of the defence,

supported by the testimony

of Amina Besic,

demonstrates that it is not

proven beyond reasonable doubt

that Stella Sandell acted

in the manner alleged by the prosecution.

We the court rule

that in the charge against Stella Sandell

that she is not guilty of m*rder.

- Oh, thank God.

- [relieved sigh]

[Hannah] She is to be released

immediately.

[Ulrika] Oh!

- [Ulrika gasps]

- You're free. It's over.

[emotional instrumental music playing]

[sobbing]

[both sobbing]

[Stella whimpers]

Oh

[both sobbing]

[solemn music playing]

[music fades]

[choir singing ethereal hymn]

[choir continue singing ethereal hymn]

Adam?

- I thought it was you.

- Hey!

- Hi. Hey!

- Hey.

- [chuckles]

- Lovely.

[sighs]

So, how have you been?

[Adam] Yeah. I'm good.

I came to say hi, and to hand in my laptop

and tie up some loose ends

and bits before I go.

It seems it's even harder

to take the collar off

than it is to put it on.

Well, it is rather unusual

for someone to leave the church.

- I'm not leaving the church.

- Mm.

But I can no longer be a priest, Siri.

At least, not right now.

Oh, you'll be such a great loss, Adam.

Thank you.

- Stay for a cup of coffee?

- Yeah, love to.

- Mm?

- If you can make me a fresh one.

- Oh, of course. [chuckles]

- Can't do instant.

[group] God, grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

courage to change the things I can,

and wisdom to know the difference.

[indistinct chattering]

- Bye, then.

- See you.

- Take care.

- See you.

[man] Yeah, I'll see you next time.

- [Adam] Hey.

- Hi.

- How did it go?

- Good.

- [indistinct chattering]

- [bustle of traffic]

[horn honking]

[matchbox rattling]

[solemn music playing]

[Chris] No, you don't!

Come here!

[Chris] Come here!

[Chris grunts]

[tense music playing]

[Amina] Stella!

Stella, come on!

Stella!

[Chris groans]

You f*cking whore! [grunts]

[Chris grunts]

[Chris screaming]

[Chris gasping]

[solemn music playing]

[rhythmic tapping]

[unsettling music playing]

[music fades out]