At just nine years old, Jamie-Lee Arrow's life was irrevocably defined by a single, monstrous act committed by her father. She became known forever as "the cannibal's daughter" after her father, Isakin Jonsson, carried out one of Sweden's most horrific murders.
The Horrific Crime and a Childhood Stolen
In 2011, Jonsson was convicted of the brutal murder of his partner, Helle Christensen, a mother of five. The crime, which shocked the nation, saw Jonsson slash Christensen's throat, behead her, and consume parts of her body, earning him the moniker the "Skara cannibal." He was found guilty and committed to a psychiatric facility. For young Jamie-Lee, who had viewed Christensen as a stepmother, the tragedy was only the beginning of her ordeal.
Despite his incarceration, Jonsson's shadow loomed large over his daughter's life. In a recent interview, Arrow revealed to the Daily Mail how her father spent her childhood attempting to pull her into his disturbing worldview. "My dad definitely brainwashed me and has done since I was 3 years old," she stated. "He has always exposed me to the dark side, with the devil and demons and evil spirits."
She explained that this systematic psychological manipulation was a deliberate effort to mould her in his image. "He was preparing my brain for it for as long as I remember because he wanted me to be him," Arrow said. The immense pressure contributed to a psychological collapse when she was only 18. Her salvation came when her mother discovered the extent of the abuse she was enduring.
A Quest for Closure and a Final Betrayal
Now a 23-year-old mother of two, Arrow has rebuilt her life after battling severe mental illness, PTSD, and addiction. She had vowed to keep her father away for the sake of her children. However, in a courageous move for a recent Investigation Discovery documentary, she agreed to reunite with Jonsson after four years of no contact, surprising him at the secure facility.
"He started crying and hugged me and seemed happy to see me," Arrow shared, admitting she desperately wanted to believe he had changed. Yet, any hope of reconciliation was brutally shattered. It became clear he remained deeply troubled, and after the meeting, he sent her a "sick text message" threatening her and her family if she ever contacted him again.
Finding Strength and Moving Forward
This final act of cruelty provided a painful but definitive conclusion. "After I met him during the production, I made my mind up that he can never, ever in a million years be a part of my life again," Arrow disclosed. "I finally got closure, but I'm also grieving a person who is still alive."
Her participation in the documentary was driven by a desire to show others that escape and recovery are possible. "I wanted people to comprehend the darkness I came from and that I actually managed to get myself out from under it," she said. While she still struggles with her identity, she is resolute in protecting her own family from the darkness of her past. "He will always be in the back of my head, but I know that I will never see him again. Mostly for the sake of my kids," Arrow affirmed.
