A woman said that suspect Nils Gustafsson did have an argument with one of the three teens he is accused of murdering in 1960. The unnamed woman had been camping with friends at a nearby site, and recalls that Gustafsson and the three others joined them for a time.
She says that he was drunk, and had a fierce quarrel with Seppo Boisman, one of the victims.
This directly contradicts Gustafsson's account, in which he says the two men and their girlfriends spent a pleasant evening together without any arguments. His lawyer says the surprise witnesses' testimony was flimsy, since she couldn't even recall the names of her companions at her own campsite.
The defence also wondered why the witness had kept quiet about this incident over the decades. She replied that once the murders became public, she and her friends swore they would keep the incident to themselves.
Police Using 45-Year-Old DNA Evidence In 1960 Gustafsson was camping at Lake Bodom in Espoo with the three victims, who were killed overnight. One boy was stabbed to death; the two women were clubbed with rocks. Gustafsson was also treated for some wounds. Prosecutors Tom Ifström and Heli Haapalehto are using DNA evidence gathered from Gustafsson's shoes and the youths' camping tent to support their case. The tent will also be brought into the courtroom. Police say that an enraged Gustafsson sliced through the tent with a knife and killed his friends, and then later re-arranged the campsite to make it appear as if he was also a victim. They say jealousy and resentment were the motives, pointing out that one of the girls was found partially undressed at the crime scene. Gustafsson: I'm Not Guilty
His defence team says that an unidentified outside assailant was responsible for the murders. They say that there was no argument that evening, or any other motive for Gustafsson to have committed murder.
Nils Gustafsson has told the court that he does recall some events on the night in question. Previously he claimed he did not remember anything, but that he is sure of his innocence.
When he took the stand, however, Gustafsson revised the story he has told for four and a half decades. He told the court that he does remember the group he was with awoke once after going to sleep, and that he went fishing with his the other boy in the camping group.
Thirteen days have been reserved for the trial, one of which will be spent at the murder scene on the shores of Lake Bodom. Closing statements are scheduled for September 8th.