Currently showing on Netflix is the series The Breakthrough. The limited series has four episodes.
The story centers around a tragic event that took place on October 19, 2004 in Linköping Sweden.
On that day, an 8-year-old boy named Adnan was supposed to walk to school with his sister. Since she was not ready, he headed out alone as he was running late.
On his way to school, he was stabbed by a man and died from his injuries. Moments later, a woman named Gunilla witnesses the attack and tries to help but also ends up getting stabbed. She later succumbs to her injuries and passes away.
There was another eyewitness who saw the events happen and would become a key figure in the investigation.
At the crime scene, police recovered a butterfly knife and a beanie hat. Both items were covered with the killer’s DNA, along with DNA traces from the victims.
The Investigation
The investigation was led by Detective John Sundin, a former Olympian who had represented Sweden in two Olympic Games. Deeply moved by the case, the police chief promised Adnan’s father, Saad, that they would find the killer.
At the time of the murders, John’s wife was pregnant with their first child. They both believed the case would be solved quickly, given the DNA evidence and the eyewitness.
However, the eyewitness struggled to recall the killer’s face. Eventually, she tried hypnosis, which helped her provide a description that was used to create a composite sketch.
As the investigation unfolded, John became so consumed by it that he missed significant moments with his family, including the birth of his son. This strain ultimately led to his divorce.
The story also concurrently follows the life of a young man named Andres Pearson (Ante). Ante was a troubled young man who played soccer with a team.
As part of the investigation, the police encouraged the public to submit DNA samples to rule them out as suspects.
Many members of the public who were within the age bracket that was specified voluntarily agreed to be swabbed. Amongst Ante’s teammates, he was the only one who refused to have his DNA collected.
Eventually his coach, who had previously observed some issues with his behavior began to suspect that Ante might have something to do with the murders.
The story also introduces a reporter named Stina Erikson. At the time of the murders, she was a rookie reporter. She published some articles that caused distress for both John and the investigation.
The Race for Time
Sixteen years went by with no real suspect. John continued to work on the case, believing he would one day solve this case. However, given the time that had passed by and resources expended, the police department started to consider transferring the case to cold cases.
On day while driving, John listened to a radio segment and heard about DNA mapping and how it was used to solve a cold case in the U.S.
He began to look into the possibility of using the same methods for his case since the police had retrieved blood samples.
He contacts a genealogist named Per Skogvist. Together, they worked on mapping the genealogy based on the sample taken from the knife but the samples were not great. Eventually, they tested the samples on the beanie.
The rest of the series explores how the investigation unfolded, the impact the crime had on the families left behind including Gunilla’s husband, and John Sundin’s strained relationship with his son.
What I Liked About The Breakthrough
For me, the best part of this docuseries was how the story unfolded. I enjoyed how they connected all the pieces together.
It’s always a good feeling especially when I am unfamiliar with a story to keep guessing who the killer would be.
It was also memorable and at the same time heartbreaking to hear Adnan’s dad, Saad, describe the effect the crime had on their family. He said, “he buried us alive.”
The dynamics between John and Per was also well done. Even though they had different ideologies in some areas, ultimately they had the same goal.
Would I Watch the Series Again?
Absolutely! Although it’s a very sad story based on true events, I would definitely watch this docuseries again.
How Would You Rate The Breakthrough?
I would give this a rating of 4 out 5.
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