A Daughter’s Journey to Understand Her Father’s Horrific Past

For the first time in four years, Jamie Lee Arrow was ready to meet her father, Scala Cannibal. It was October 2024, and the 23-year-old mother of two felt an urge to reconnect with him.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure how he’d respond,” Arrow shared. “And I was also uncertain about my own reaction. It was hard to picture how the moment would feel. But when I saw him, it was like we had never been apart. His tears moved me; it seemed like he had really changed.”

In a true crime series titled “The Evil Life: Killer Spies,” Arrow’s story unfolds alongside one of Sweden’s most notorious cases. The two-hour special includes a close interview with her and her father, Isakin Johnson.

In 2010, Jonsson violently murdered his girlfriend Helle Christensen in their Swedish home. The episode details the horrific act—he slashed her throat, beheaded her, and reportedly consumed parts of her body—when Arrow was just nine years old.

“I stumbled across the story in the newspaper,” she recalled. “To be honest, I didn’t understand what ‘cannibal’ meant at that age. But as I read more articles, I got the picture. Still, my dad managed to charm me.”

Growing up, Arrow described her childhood as split between two worlds. At her mother’s home, she felt warmth and safety, while visits to her father introduced her to troubling aspects of life. He would often engage in watching gruesome horror films and creating eerie voodoo dolls, not to mention warning her to keep secrets from her mother.

“His home was devoid of light,” she noted. “It was unsettling, but in a way, I grew used to it…”

Johnson had unpredictable moods. Sometimes he was loving, while at other times, he seemed distant and cold, often unable to cope with her presence.

At nine, Arrow began to know Christensen, who entered her father’s life as someone she would call her “second mom.” Despite calling Christensen beautiful and loving, she felt her father’s indifference to the relationship.

Their relationship dynamics shifted as Johnson and Christensen battled frequently. Arrow would witness these fights and feel a knot of anxiety, fearing something terrible might occur.

“In retrospect, I would say it was chaotic,” she remarked. “And that last weekend I saw Helle… well, it was one of the worst experiences of my life.”

Arrow recalled a chilling moment: “She cooked for us and said, ‘Enjoy this meal. It might be the last coming from me, as your dad is out to get me.’ Her words still haunt me.”

Her mother tried to shield her from the murder news, but Arrow eventually learned about Christensen’s demise, leaving her devastated and in shock. “I cried for hours,” she said. “The next day, I felt numb. It was as if someone switched off my emotions, and I was scared of that.”

In 2011, Johnson was found guilty of Christensen’s murder and placed in a mental institution. Over the years, Arrow struggled with depression, anxiety, and addiction, often seeking her father’s advice when bullied at school. His suggestions ranged from unusual to disturbing, including using voodoo to take revenge on her bullies.

At one point during their conversations, he invited her to witness the murder he committed. “It was unsettling, almost as if he took pride in it,” Arrow reflected. “He displayed no regret. I distinctly felt the gravity of the situation, realizing my father was deeply troubled.”

Despite the horror he inflicted, Arrow still hesitated to categorize him as purely evil. “I see him as a very broken person,” she concluded. “His actions were heinous, and there’s no excuse for them.” She expressed sympathy for his childhood, often wondering about the circumstances that shaped him.

After his release, she made it clear she didn’t want Johnson in her children’s lives. Becoming a mother brought new perspectives; she began to understand her childhood through the lens of a parent. “Looking back, I always thought I was to blame for everything that happened,” she said.

Ultimately, Arrow wishes her experiences encourage others facing similar struggles. “You are not alone,” she wants them to know. “If you are haunted by trauma or addiction, everyone can emerge from the shadows.”

Her story is part of the documentary “My Father, Cannibal,” streaming now. A new episode on true crime airs Sundays on Investigation Discovery.