A new documentary will attempt to solve the mystery of a Swede whose body was found on a Scottish beach after her death was declared top secret by her government.
Annie Borjesson’s body was discovered in Prestwick Beach in December 2005 and her family continues to search for answers.
They believe the 30-year-old was murdered, but the initial police investigation found she had drowned and her death was ruled a suicide.
But a number of questions have been raised by her relatives in Sweden and by activists in Scotland.
Annie Borjesson in a Scotland hat. She had moved there a year before her death to study English
The BBC has announced that it has commissioned a new four-part series on the case, entitled Body on the Beach.
It is being produced by Glasgow-based production company Rogan Scotland and will provide new evidence in the case.
A description of the show reads: “How did Annie Börjesson die? BBC Three and BBC Scotland have co-commissioned a series with Rogan Scotland to try to find the answer to this mystery.
“The series follows the death of a young Swede, Annie Börjesson, whose body was found on the beach at Prestwick in south-west Scotland in 2005.
“Immediately labeled as a suicide by the authorities, there are now numerous question marks behind this verdict.
Believed to be Borjesson at Prestwick Airport before she was found on the beach
“Exploring the mysterious circumstances before and after her death, the series will uncover this cold case, piece together publicly available information and uncover new evidence.”
Ms Borjesson, who had lived and worked in Edinburgh after falling in love with Scotland during a short trip, was found dead under a dyke wall on December 4, 2005. Her backpack was next to her passport and wallet.
She was due to fly back from Prestwick Airport to Tibro in western Sweden for Christmas that day and close friends said she was in good spirits.
The day before she left for the airport, she called her hairdresser in Sweden and made an appointment for the following week. She also paid next month’s rent for her flat in Edinburgh.
Happier times: A young Borjesson with flowing red hair smiles as he sits for a photo
Her death sparked a wave of conspiracy theories in the years that followed.
One theory that emerged concerned alleged CIA rendition flights via Prestwick Airport, which Fox News said were used for the “extrajudicial transfer of prisoners” between countries.
No evidence has surfaced to support this theory.
In 2020, documents emerged that were part of a year-long investigation into her death between the Swedish Foreign Office and Scottish authorities.
The files were released as part of a six-part podcast called What Happened to Annie by Sky News.
According to the podcast, the files are heavily redacted because Borjesson’s death is considered “classified” by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The reason for the blacking out of details of Borjesson’s death in Scotland is “that the information concerns Sweden’s relations with a foreign state and authority”.
It went on to say that disclosure of the information “will harm Sweden’s international relations or otherwise harm national interests”.
Borjesson’s mother, Guje Borjesson, on Prestwick beach with a photograph of her daughter
Another document filed the day after her death appears to point to the Swedish embassy detailing how Scottish authorities suspected Borjesson’s suicide.
Borjesson’s mother, Guje Borjesson, told Sky News at the time that she was “disturbed” by Sweden’s decision to keep her daughter’s death a secret.
Borjesson’s mother said there was a “public interest” in finding out what happened to her daughter.
No broadcast date has yet been announced for the documentary.
Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries, History and Religion at the BBC, said: “It’s a really exciting time for documentaries at the BBC, with recent highlights such as Uprising, House Of Maxwell, Our Falklands War, Then Barbara Met Alan and Gazza demonstrates our commitment to telling distinctively British stories and offering viewers fresh perspectives on recent events.
“I want our content to resonate with viewers across the country.
“The new series we are announcing today offers a unique approach to stories from Wales, Scotland and Northern England and I am delighted to be working with colleagues across the nations on these compelling and timely new documentaries.”