HBO announced today the US premiere date for its Swedish true-crime docuseries Pray, Obey, Kill.
From acclaimed investigative journalists Anton Berg and Martin Johnson comes Pray, Obey, Kill (Knutby), a gripping five-part documentary series that revisits a complex Swedish murder case from 2004 that gained global attention.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Henrik Georgsson (The Bridge, Blue Eyes, Wallander), it explores new case theories about one of the most bizarre and confounding crimes in modern Swedish history, as well as never-before-seen materials and exclusive interviews — ultimately shedding new light on the truth behind the crime.
On a cold night in January 2004, gunshots rang out across the remote Swedish village of Knutby, home to a small, tight-knit Pentecostal congregation — leaving a young woman murdered in her bed and her neighbor suffering from multiple bullet wounds. Attention soon turned toward the community, including the victim’s husband, also the sect’s pastor, the victim’s 26-year-old nanny, and the sect’s leader, known as “The Bride of Christ.”
The case gained instant international notoriety when the nanny confessed within days, claiming she was told to commit the acts of violence through a series of text messages from God. What soon emerged, however, was a tale of a scandalous love triangle and details of another suspicious death that had occurred years before. Behind it all were the mysterious actions of the sect’s leader, who exerted an increasingly powerful pull over her congregation.
Tracing the chilling events of January 10, 2004, and the resulting police investigation, criminal trial, and its aftermath, Pray, Obey, Kill highlights Berg and Johnson’s meticulous re-examination of the case. Their investigation includes in-depth interviews with journalists and police investigators who covered the crimes, as well as former members of the Pentecostal sect, some of whom are speaking for the first time about the psychological and physical abuse they suffered.
Said Anton Berg:
“To me, the case and what really happened in Knutby is all about abuse of power – something I find extremely provocative.”
Added Martin Johnson:
“Throughout our work with the documentary, abuse of power has become the central theme – both within the Knutby sect and in the Swedish justice system.”
Pray, Obey, Kill premieres in the US with two back-to-back episodes on Monday, April 12, starting at 9 PM ET/PT. New episodes will debut on subsequent Mondays at the same time on HBO and be available for streaming on HBO Max.
A production of Warner Bros ITVP Sweden for HBO Europe, Pray, Obey, Kill is directed by Henrik Georgsson; produced by Ruth Reid for Warner Brothers ITVP; and executive produced by Anton Berg, Martin Johnson, and Martina Iacobaeus. For HBO Europe, the executive producers are Hanne Palmquist, Hanka Kastelicová, and Antony Root.
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