The burned detached house where a woman was found dead as a homicide victim on Sunday, 6 July, in Mikkeli, photographed on 8 July 2025. The man suspected of the killing was arrested on Monday evening. He was located in a wooded area with the help of a police dog unit. Photo: Oskari Mäkisarka / Str / Lehtikuva
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Police suspect a 20-year-old man of murdering a woman in Mikkeli and attempting to kill a taxi driver earlier the same day in Jyväskylä. The man, a resident of Jyväskylä, faces five criminal charges including murder, attempted manslaughter, aggravated robbery, aggravated damage to property, and unauthorised use of a vehicle.
The suspect allegedly attacked a taxi driver in Jyväskylä in the early hours of Sunday 6 July. He then stole the taxi and drove it to Otava, a village in Mikkeli. Later that morning, a detached house in Otava caught fire. Rescue workers found the body of a woman inside the burnt building. The house was destroyed.
Marfa Raipela, lead investigator at the Eastern Finland Police Department, confirmed the chain of events on Tuesday. She said the suspect is believed to have used violence against the driver and then taken the vehicle by force. The victim required hospital treatment for injuries but is not in life-threatening condition.
Police believe the man arrived at the Mikkeli crime scene using the stolen taxi. The woman found dead in the house has been identified by Helsingin Sanomat as a local resident aged around 60 who worked with children and young people.
Investigators suspect the suspect then murdered the woman and set the house on fire. Authorities have not confirmed whether the victim died before or during the fire. Police also have not publicly identified a motive.
According to Raipela, the classification of murder is based on whether the act was planned, especially cruel, or targeted someone performing work duties. She declined to specify which of these grounds applied in this case.
The suspect was detained on Monday evening in Kangasniemi, a municipality northwest of Mikkeli. A police dog team found him in a wooded area after receiving a tip from a member of the public. He was alone at the time and did not resist arrest.
Police had published a photo of the suspect earlier on Monday and carried out an extensive search using helicopters and ground patrols in the Kangasniemi area. According to Tuomo Lepola, a chief inspector involved in the operation, the arrest went without incident.
Authorities also confirmed the suspect had been performing military service in the Kainuu Brigade. Police carried out a related search at the military base on Monday morning. The Defence Forces did not provide details on the unit or the suspect’s service history.
Police are continuing their investigation and have begun interviews with the suspect. Raipela said the relationship between the suspect and the female victim is known to investigators, as is an initial understanding of the events.
Investigators have already received a significant number of tips from the public and conducted multiple searches and interviews connected to the case. Raipela said any further information from citizens remains welcome.
“For now we are focusing on establishing how the suspect ended up committing these crimes and what background factors were involved,” said Lepola in a statement to Yle after the arrest.
The suspect had not been interviewed by police by midday Tuesday, but those sessions were expected to begin the same day.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
