Leif G.W. Persson
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.
Fotos
Filmes (44)
GW:s mord - Mordet på Liselotte
2026 · Self
GW:s mord - Mordet på Wilma
2026 · Self
GW:s mord - Sturebymordet
2026 · Self
GW:s mord – Styckmordet i Karlskrona
2026 · Self
GW:s mord - Familjetragedin i Svartöstaden
2026 · Self
GW:s mord - Cyanidmordet
2026 · Self
People who can’t read
2026 · Audiobook reader (slow)
Kvinnan i gruvhålet
2026 · Self (archive footage)
GW:s mord – Juldagsmordet i Boden
2026 · Self
GW:s mord – Styckmördaren Anders Carlsson
2026 · Self
Mordgåtan i paradiset – svenskarna som försvann
2026 · Self (archive footage)
GW:s mord – Skultunamordet
2026 · Self
GW:s mord – Taximordet i Hjälstaviken
2026 · Self
Leif GW om veckans fall
2026 · Self
GW om äppelkriget
2026 · Self
Leif GW och vargen
2023 · Self
Leif GW: Fallet Tove
2023 · Self
30 sekunder: Skotten på Sveavägen
2023 · Thanks
Malou möter Leif GW Persson 2022
2022 · Self
Sven Melander - Ta hand om er och glöm inte att skratta
2022 · Self
Palmemördaren
2021 · Self (archive footage)
Mordet på Olof Palme
2020 · Self
Leif GW om: Blattarna som byggde Sverige
2020 · Self, Idea
Em Busca da Verdade
2019 · Leif G.W. Persson (voice)
GW berättar - Göring i Sverige
2019 · Self
Ordinary Savage: The Origins of Violence and Hurt Feelings
2018 · Self
Leif GW - nyhetsspecial om Madsen
2018 · Self
Revolver-Harry - enligt Leif GW Persson
2018 · Self
Malou möter Leif GW Persson 2017
2017 · Self
Veckans brott: Palmemordet och Christer Pettersson
2016 · Self
Sjöwall & Wahlöö - Berättelsen om ett brott
2016 · Self
Skolattacken i Trollhättan
2015 · Self
Historiska brott
2012 · Self, Writer
Inspector Späck
2010 · Leif G.W. Persson
Dokument inifrån: Att skapa en seriemördare
2009 · Self - Prof. Rikspolisstyrelsen
Ebbe - The Movie: Mannen, Myten, Affären
2009 · Self
Peter Bratt - En undersökare
2007 · Self
Bordellaffären
2007 · Self
Helénmannen: Ulf Olsson
2005 · Self
24 minuter: Leif GW Persson
2003 · Self
Thomas Quick
2002 · Self
Thomas Quick: Seriemördare eller mytoman?
1995 · Self
In the Name of the Law
1986 · Writer, Novel
The Man from Majorca
1984 · Novel
Séries (46)
DNA-spåret: Dubbelmordet i Brattås
2026 · Self
Guldtvisten
2025 · Self (archive footage)
Läckbergs
2025 · Self
Dokument inifrån: Det svenska styckmordet
2024 · Self
Veckan med Camilla och Leif GW
2024 · Self
Leif GW och vargen
2023 · Self - Host
The Kings Inner Circle
2023 · Self
En smak på livet
2021 · Self
Den överlägsne journalisten
2021 · Self
Ulf Lundell - friheten och ensamheten
2020 · Self
Leif GW about
2020 · Self
Bäckström
2020 · Novel, Executive Producer, Creator
Silbersky
2019 · Self
Här är ditt liv
2018 · Self - Guest
Brottsjournalen
2018 · Self
The Truth Will Out
2018 · Executive Producer, Characters
The Dying Detective
2018 · Novel
Helikopterrånet
2017 · Self
GW:s mord
2017 · Self, Writer
Leif GW Persson om Mordutredningen
2016 · Self
Sveriges bästa
2016 · Self
Vänligen: Lars Lerin
2016 · Self
Leif GW Persson - Min klassresa
2015 · Self
Jorden runt på 6 steg
2015
Renées brygga
2015 · Himself
Backstrom
2015 · Novel, Executive Producer
The Fourth Man
2014 · Novel
Astrid
2014 · Self
På jakt med Lotta och Leif
2014 · Self
Death of a Pilgrim
2013 · Novel
Stenbeck
2013 · Self
Engelska mord
2012 · Self, Writer
Sommarmord
2011 · Self, Writer
Plura's Kitchen
2011 · Self - Guest
Veckans brott
2010 · Self - Criminologist
Hellenius Hörna
2010 · Self - Guest
Skavlan
2009 · Self - Guest
Boston Tea Party
2007
Kulturplatz
2004 · Self
Anna Holt - Den vite riddaren
1994 · Writer
Kvällspressen
1992 · Kriminologen, Writer, Creator
Efterlyst
1991 · Self - Criminologist
Goltuppen
1991 · Writer, Creator
Grabbarna på Fagerhult
1990 · Self, Writer
Profitörerna
1983 · Police investigator, Novel, Creator
Dubbelsvindlarna
1982 · Eliasson