Erland Hulof Soderberg: Murdered His Mother, Doesn't Remember but Confessed

Erland Hulof was born 13 Apr 1879 in Sweden to Sigrid Martha Persdotter (1846-1907). I didn't find his father.

In 1904 he was working as a Stevedore.
Description: A stevedore, longshoreman, docker or dock worker is a waterfront manual laborer who is involved in loading and unloading ships, trucks, trains or airplanes.



Inmate #22740 San Quentin Prison (California)
Rec: 17 Mar 1908
Crime: Murder 1st Degree
Term: Life
Paroled: 14 July 1921










https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31355611/erland_soderberg/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31355241/erland_soderberg/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31354612/erland_h_soderberg/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31355421/erland_soderberg/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31355581/erland_soderberg/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31355388/erland_soderberg/


At one point it was thought that his mother Sigrid commited suicide. I couldn't believe that as she would of had to cut her throat in the kitchen and then shut herself in the closet. I think not.

Erland committed to killing her in detail then convenantly forgets. He faints once at his mother's funeral, yes they let him attend,  and he tries to plea insanity. He gives such a detail account of how he cut her throat. In the end he was convicted and sentenced to Life in prison, although a sentence of Life is not Life, it's usually anywhere from 10-30 years, they can be paroled after so many mandatory years, depends on the state. The parole board doesn't have to give them parole either, they look at their records and their conduct while incarcerated, they can also read any letters from victims. Although non of this applied in 1908.

I didn't find any records for Erland after his release from prison, no death records either. 

Guess we will have to wait to hear from a family member. I made him a tree on Ancestry.



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