Police in the northern Swedish county arrested the Kazakh national in the town of Boden after an international warrant had been put out for his arrest.
But regional police said they had to release the murderer after French authorities failed to retrieve him before the ten day maximum detention period had elapsed.
The man had managed to escape justice in a number of countries before being arrested in Sweden on January 28th. French police were informed of the arrest via Interpol before Luleå District Court ruled in February that the man should be extradited.
But four hours before the end of the ten day time limit, French police got in touch to say that they would not make it in time to retrieve the man. Police in Norrbotten were left with no option but to release him.
The man is now believed by police to have fled Sweden.