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Murder of Elin Krantz

SOLVED2010Biskopsgården, Gothenburg, Sweden3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
File:ElinKrantzImage.jpg
File:ElinKrantzImage.jpg — Credit: https://www.gp.se/nyheter/g%C3%B6teborg/m%C3%B6rdade-elin-krantz-missk%C3%B6ter-sig-i-f%C3%A4ngelset-1.4656311 · Copyrighted — editorial use, owner-approved 2026-07-12

Elin Krantz, a 27-year-old woman from Falköping, Sweden, was killed in the Biskopsgården district of Gothenburg on 26 September 2010. Krantz, born 16 August 1983, had spent the evening out in Gothenburg's nightlife with a friend and was taking the tram home when the friend got off. CCTV footage showed that after her friend left the tram, Krantz was approached and followed by a man who attempted to rape her and then beat her to death. Her body was found in Biskopsgården the next day.

Two days after the killing, on 28 September 2010, plainclothes police arrested Ephrem Tadele Yohannes, a 23-year-old Ethiopian citizen with a Swedish residence permit, at Gothenburg Central Station. Yohannes was stopped because his clothing and appearance resembled the man captured on security-camera footage. Forensic testing found Krantz's DNA on his clothing and his DNA on her body.

Yohannes was convicted of Krantz's murder and attempted rape and sentenced to 16 years in prison, with deportation to follow his release. He appealed the verdict to the Hovrätt (Court of Appeal), maintaining his innocence; at the appellate hearing the prosecution argued for a life sentence and a conviction for aggravated sexual assault. During the proceedings, it was reported that Yohannes's wife and children had left Europe after receiving threats. In the autumn of 2011, the Court of Appeal upheld the original conviction and sentence. Krantz's parents and her five siblings were awarded roughly €60,000 in criminal damages.

Yohannes was first held at Norrtäljeanstalten, a high-security prison in Norrtälje, and was later transferred to Salbergaanstalten prison in Sala after attacking a fellow inmate; he has received multiple warnings for inappropriate behavior while incarcerated. Krantz was buried at Sankt Olof kyrkogård in her hometown of Falköping. In October 2010, more than 1,000 people gathered in Biskopsgården to commemorate her and to protest the violence.

Key facts

Victims
Elin Krantz
Date
2010
Location
Biskopsgården, Gothenburg, Sweden
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2010-09-26

    Elin Krantz was followed after leaving a tram in Gothenburg following an evening out, then attacked in an attempted rape and beaten to death in the Biskopsgården district.

  2. 2010-09-27

    Krantz's body was found in Biskopsgården.

  3. 2010-09-28

    Ephrem Tadele Yohannes was arrested by plainclothes police at Gothenburg Central Station after his clothing and appearance matched security-camera footage of the attacker.

  4. 2010-10

    More than 1,000 people gathered in Biskopsgården to commemorate Krantz and protest the violence.

  5. 2011

    The Hovrätt (Court of Appeal) upheld Yohannes's conviction and 16-year sentence after he appealed and pleaded innocence.

Best coverage

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People

  • Elin Krantz

    VICTIM

    27-year-old woman followed and killed while walking home from a night out in Gothenburg; her DNA was found on the convicted man's clothing and his DNA was found on her body.

  • Ephrem Tadele Yohannes

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of Krantz's murder and attempted rape; sentenced to 16 years in prison and deportation upon release. The conviction and sentence were upheld on appeal by the Court of Appeal in the autumn of 2011.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • File:ElinKrantzImage.jpg

    portrait victim

    File:ElinKrantzImage.jpg

    Credit: https://www.gp.se/nyheter/g%C3%B6teborg/m%C3%B6rdade-elin-krantz-missk%C3%B6ter-sig-i-f%C3%A4ngelset-1.4656311 · Copyrighted — editorial use, owner-approved 2026-07-12 · Source

Places

Biskopsgården, Gothenburg, Sweden

57.7329, 11.8944

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Elin Krantz, 27, was followed from a tram stop in Gothenburg, Sweden, attacked in an attempted rape, and beaten to death on 26 September 2010; Ephrem Tadele Yohannes was convicted of her murder and attempted rape and sentenced to 16 years in prison, with deportation to follow his release.
Where did the murder happen?
Biskopsgården, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Who was convicted?
Ephrem Tadele Yohannes (Convicted of Krantz's murder and attempted rape; sentenced to 16 years in prison and deportation upon release. The conviction and sentence were upheld on appeal by the Court of Appeal in the autumn of 2011.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Sweden

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Elin KrantzWikipedia · 2026-07-12
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — sverigesradio.sesverigesradio.se · 2026-07-12
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — gp.segp.se · 2026-07-12

Record history

First published
JUL 13, 2026