Casefile Archives 6: The Eriksson Twins

Podcast: Casefile True Crime
Episode Date: February 14, 2026
Summary by Casefile Presents

Overview

This Casefile Archives episode revisits one of the series’ most infamous and bewildering cases: the story of Sabina and Ursula Eriksson, Swedish twin sisters whose actions on England’s M6 motorway on May 17, 2008 defied logic, baffled authorities, and culminated in tragedy. Re-produced to match current standards, this re-release explores the sisters’ mysterious backgrounds, their extraordinary and dangerous behavior on the motorway (documented on video by a BBC crew), and the deadly sequence of events that followed. Central to the episode is the puzzle of shared delusion, rare mental health disorders, and the failures—systemic or otherwise—of the criminal justice and medical system to foresee catastrophe.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Eriksson Twins’ Backgrounds

• Early Life:
  • Born November 3, 1967, in Värmland, Sweden; two older siblings.
  • Described as quiet, somewhat “odd” children; “tendency to be a bit violent” at school, but with no mental health history or treatment.
• Adulthood Separation:
  • By 2008, Ursula was living in the US; Sabina in Ireland with her partner and children.
  • Their relationship was “extremely tight.” Contact over the years included visits from each to the other's home, sometimes with children.

2. Lead-Up to the M6 Motorway Incident

• Embarked on spontaneous travel with little explanation:
  • Ursula visits Sabina in Ireland; both leave for England at 2 AM, May 16, 2008, without telling anyone.
  • Sighted at Liverpool’s St. Ann Street Police Station (8:40 AM, May 17), where Sabina reports vague fears for her children's safety—though they are in Ireland.
  • Boarded a coach for London but were put off at Keele Services due to odd, suspicious behavior: refusing to let go of bags, displaying paranoia.

3. M6 Motorway and BBC Film Crew Incident

• Walking on the motorway:
  • Refused to wait for another coach, walked along the M6 central reservation (highway center barrier), captured on traffic cameras.
• First police contact:
  • Sprinted into traffic as patrol approached; Sabina struck by a car but unhurt, both acting bizarrely calm (13:05).
• Dramatic escalation, filmed by BBC’s Motorway Cops:
  • Ursula suddenly lunged into motorway traffic, struck and run over by a 40-ton truck; Sabina followed, struck violently by a car ([13:35]-[14:37]).
  • Both survived but were severely injured—yet still combative, resisting aid, yelling conflicting statements (“They're going to steal your organs” — [20:36]).

Notable Moment

“One moment the twins were standing together calmly and nothing seemed out of the ordinary... then suddenly, for no apparent reason, Ursula lunged forward... and then ran straight out onto the road and directly into the side of a 40-tonne truck. The truck ran straight over the top of her. Sabina then made her move, running out onto the motorway as well.”
[13:35] – Casefile Narrator

On their resistance post-accident:

“It took six people in total, with Sabina still resisting and putting up a fight. Her strength was later described as inhuman.”
[22:01] – Casefile Narrator

• Authorities suspected drug intoxication or a suicide pact, but tests for drugs/alcohol came back negative.

4. Aftermath: Systemic Bafflement & Missed Warnings

• Sabina given only minor charges, evaluated by multiple doctors who found “nothing wrong with her”; not fully psychiatrically assessed due to minor injuries.
• She was released after just five hours in hospital, showing complete composure—so “compliant that the police didn’t even bother to handcuff her” ([24:30]).

Ominous statement by Sabina in custody:

“We say always in Sweden that an accident rarely comes alone. Usually at least one more follows. Perhaps two.”
[27:10] – Sabina (as reported by the narrator, after her release from hospital)

5. The Killing of Glenn Hollinshead – 48 Hours Later

• Sabina, appearing lost and distressed in Stoke-on-Trent, is helped by local men Glenn Hollinshead and Peter Molloy, who offer her food and shelter.
• Her behavior: Paranoid, shifting from sociable to agitated, repeatedly checks windows, snatches cigarettes away muttering about poison ([29:00]-[31:00]).
• The next evening, Glenn is found with fatal stab wounds, identifying Sabina as the attacker with his final words:

  “I’ve been stabbed. She stabbed me.” ([32:00])

• Sabina assaults a passerby who tries to stop her from self-harm, then jumps from a 30ft bridge—survives with broken ankles and skull fracture ([33:45]).

6. Medical and Legal Proceedings

• Sabina hospitalized for months, then charged with Glenn’s murder. She answers only “no comment” to police questions.
• Two psychiatric diagnoses:
  • Induced delusional disorder (defense): Shared psychosis between Sabina and Ursula.
  • Acute polymorphic psychotic disorder (prosecution): Brief, rapidly-shifting psychosis.
• Both agree Sabina was mentally ill at the time, but never assessed Ursula.
• Sabina changes plea to manslaughter with diminished responsibility; receives 5-year sentence ([39:25]).

Judge’s Statement at Sentencing

“I understand that this sentence will seem entirely inadequate to the relatives of the deceased. However, I have sentenced on the basis that the reason for the killing was the mental illness and therefore the culpability of the defendant was low.”
[40:00] – The Judge

7. Aftermath and Enduring Mysteries

• Sabina returns to Sweden after prison; Ursula had already returned after her release from hospital. Neither’s life after release is well documented.
• Glenn’s family critical of the system’s failure to recognize and act on Sabina’s volatile mental state.

Family's criticism

“Her mental condition should have been properly assessed. After what she did on the motorway and the experiences the police had, her mental disorder should have been picked up prior to her being let out into the community.”
[41:00] – Glenn’s brother Gary (paraphrased)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The twins were holding their bags tightly against their chest, as though terrified of letting go. The way they moved and spoke... made it seem like they were plotting something.”
  [06:20] – Casefile Narrator
• Motorway chaos captured:
  • Ursula’s truck impact and Sabina’s leap into traffic filmed by BBC; footage later used in court ([13:35]-[14:37]).
• Paramedics’ and police officers’ shock:

  “Have you ever seen that before? ... What the hell were they running for? They're on something.”
  [18:43] – Police Officer at the scene

• Sabina’s paranoia post-collision:

  “They're going to steal your organs.”
  [20:36] – Sabina, after the accident

• Sabina's post-release composure:
  • Contrasts with prior violent behavior; shares Swedish saying about consecutive accidents ([27:10]).

Timeline with Timestamps

| Time | Key Segment / Event | |---------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:03 | Introduction to the re-release; case background and release format | | 03:50–06:20 | Early lives of the Eriksson twins; separation and later reunion | | 06:50–09:45 | Arrival in Liverpool, odd police report, bus incident, suspension at services | | 10:40–13:05 | Walking on the M6; Highway Agency & police arrivals | | 13:35–14:37 | The twins running into traffic; both struck by vehicles—key incident | | 18:16–23:11 | Medical and police response, erratic behavior, struggle to restrain Sabina | | 24:00–27:10 | Sabina's calm after hospital, ominous “accident rarely comes alone” remark | | 28:37–33:45 | Sabina’s encounter with Glenn & Peter, overnight at Glenn’s, murder and escape | | 34:50–37:53 | Medical/forensic findings, Sabina’s arrest and silence | | 38:18–42:45 | Psych assessments, court proceedings, sentencing, criticism of system | | 42:45–43:46 | Glenn's family’s statements and episode conclusion |

Podcast Tone & Style

• Matter-of-fact, meticulous, unsettling:
  The narrator’s tone is “dispassionate and deeply researched,” laying out the facts, courtroom findings, and lingering ambiguities without sensationalism.
• Casefile’s trademark respectful caution is maintained—warnings about distressing content, focus on victims, questions on systemic failures.

For Further Reflection

• The episode leaves listeners pondering the unsolved mysteries at the core: the true mental state of both twins, the possible role of shared delusions, and whether authorities could—or should—have prevented the fatal escalation. It exposes the vulnerabilities and limitations in how criminal justice and mental health systems interact, especially in the face of rare and acute psychiatric phenomena.

Recommended for:
Anyone intrigued by true crime cases that defy easy explanations, highlight systemic cracks, and challenge assumptions about mental illness and responsibility. This retelling remains one of Casefile’s most perplexing and discussed stories.