Leif G.W. Persson

Overview

Known for
Acting
Gender
Other
Birthday
Mar 12, 1945 (80 years old)

Leif G.W. Persson

Known For

Documents from the Inside: The Swedish Dismemberment Murder
0h 59m
TV Show 2024

Documents from the Inside: The Swedish Dismemberment Murder

40 years ago, a woman was found dismembered under a highway in Stockholm. It was the beginning of what would become Sweden's strangest and most controversial legal process: the Catrine da Costa case. The two doctors Teet Härm and Thomas Allgén were identified as guilty of the dismemberment. But how did the legal system actually come to the conclusion that they were guilty?

Veckan med Camilla och Leif GW
0h 59m
TV Show 2024

Veckan med Camilla och Leif GW

Camilla Kvartoft and Leif GW Persson take on the hottest questions and the forgotten cases, with sharp analyses, initiated conversations and exclusive guests.

The Kings Inner Circle
0h 42m
TV Show 2023

The Kings Inner Circle

Life as a king is not only glamour, but also bordered by duty and a life in public space. Hear about the man behind the title, told by those closest to him - his sister, his friends and his wife.

Sven Melander - Ta hand om er och glöm inte att skratta
0h 58m
Movie 2022

Sven Melander - Ta hand om er och glöm inte att skratta

In the spring of 2022, the comedian, actor and journalist Sven Melander passed away after a long illness. He then had a long career behind him in stage, film and television. With his unique combination of warmth, intelligence and mischievousness, he not only won the audience's love, but also made a clear mark in Swedish entertainment history. In this portrait, the story of Sven's career is told, but we also meet him on a more personal level when he talks about his alcoholism, outlook on life, childhood and where he got his sense of humour.

Mordet på Olof Palme
0h 59m
Movie 2020

Mordet på Olof Palme

After 34 years, the police may now have answers to who murdered Olof Palme. Here, preliminary investigation leader Krister Petersson talks about the police's latest announcement. Leif GW Persson and Hasse Aro are on hand to comment on developments in Sweden's biggest murder mystery.

Biography

Leif G.W. Persson, born on March 12, 1945, in Stockholm, is a Swedish criminologist and author, best known for his crime novels and media appearances. He grew up in Gärdet, Stockholm, and later moved to Valhallavägen. After graduating from Norra Real, he studied at Stockholm University from 1965 and earned his Ph.D. in sociology in 1980, focusing on statistical measurement problems in criminology. In 1982, he became an associate professor and, in 1991, a professor of criminology specializing in police methods. Between 1967 and 1977, he worked as an expert for the National Police Board. He was involved in revealing that National Police Commissioner Carl Persson had sent a memo to Prime Minister Olof Palme about Justice Minister Lennart Geijer’s involvement with prostitutes, which became the "Geijeraffären." As a result, Persson lost his job at the National Police Board. His experiences inspired his debut novel, Grisfesten. He taught at Stockholm University and was a full professor in criminology from 1991 to 2012. He also served as an expert for the Ministry of Justice, focusing on smuggling crimes. He supported journalist Per Lindeberg in research that led to the 1999 book Döden är en man, about the 1984 styckmordet i Solna. Persson also created an offender profile for the case. In 2007, he was criticized for not publishing academic research or supervising doctoral students, though he argued that his work had been presented in reports and investigations. In 2008, he announced his resignation from the National Police Board, criticizing the appointment of Bengt Svenson as Rikspolischef. Despite initial resistance, he was later asked to stay on. Persson co-created the TV show Grabbarna på Fagerhult with Jan Guillou and published related cookbooks like Grabbarnas Kokbok. From 1998 to 2010, he appeared as a criminology expert on Efterlyst. He briefly left the show in 2006 but returned the following season. In 2010, he left Efterlyst to co-host Veckans brott on SVT with Camilla Kvartoft. His crime novels, often referred to as En roman om ett brott, feature characters like Evert Bäckström, Bo Jarnebring, and Lars Martin Johansson. In 2012, 20th Century Fox acquired the rights to his books about Evert Bäckström, including Linda – som i Lindamordet and Den som dödar draken. After CBS rejected the pilot, Fox produced Backstrom in 2015, starring Rainn Wilson as a Portland, Oregon, detective. Persson was married to Birgitta Liedstrand (1968–1980), Margareta Jönsson (1987–2002), and since 2003 to Kim Olsson. He lives in Solna and rents a hunting estate near Gnesta. He had his first son at 20, followed by three daughters, including author Malin Persson Giolito.