We take a look at some of Finland's most notorious serial killers, some of whom will be in prison until they die, with no chance of parole.
This is a list of notable serial killers from the Finland, ranked by number of proven victims (deadliest):
| # | Name: | Number of victims: |
| 7. | Ensio Koivunen | 3 |
| 6. | Jukka Torsten Lindholm aka Michael Pentholm | 3 |
| 5. | Antti Taskinen | 3 |
| 4. | Matti Haapoja | 3 – 25 |
| 3. | Ismo Junni | 5 |
| 2. | Aino Nykopp-Koski | 5 |
| 1. | Juhani Aataminpoika | 12 |
(See also 7 Myths About Serial Killers)
(See also The Last Words of 30 Famous Serial Killers)
(See also Top 30 Serial Killers By Number of Victims (20th century))
(See also Top 30 Intelligent Serial Killers With Highest IQ)
(See also Top 7 Famous Norwegian Mass Killers (Mass Murderers, Spree and Serial Killers))
(See also Top 15 Famous Swedish Mass Killers (Mass Murderers, Spree and Serial Killers))
7. Ensio Koivunen (3)
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| (Liftarimurhat, 1971. Ensio Kalevi Koivunen) |
Ensio Kalevi Koivunen aka Häkä-Enska (June 23, 1930 - May 27, 2003) was a Finnish serial killer. He killed three female hitchhiker in the summer of 1971. Died on May 27, 2003.
Classification: Serial killer
Number of victims: 3
Date of murders: summer of 1971
Born: June 23, 1930
Diad: May 27, 2003
Victims profile: Salme Helena Metsänikula, Ritva Anneli Raijas, Pirjo Marjatta Laiho
Location: Finland
Status: Died on May 27, 2003
6. Jukka Torsten Lindholm aka Michael Pentholm (3)
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| (Jukka Torsten Lindholm aka Michael Pentholm) |
Jukka Torsten Lindholm (born 1965) aka Michael Pentholm is a Finnish serial killer. He killed his own mother and a 12 old girl in 1985 and a 42 old woman in 1993. He was released from prison in 2007, but he didn’t change his ways.
Psychopaths rarely do. He was sentenced to 6 years in prison again in June 2010 for three attempted murders. He tried to strangle several women, his motive appeared to be sexual.
Birth name: Jukka Torsten Lindholm
Classification: Serial killer
Number of victims: 3
Date of murders: August 26, 1985 / July 26, 1986 / May 31, 1993
Date of arrest: 1987 / 1993 / 2009 / 2015
Date of birth: 1965
Victims profile: His own mother, 12 old girl, 42 old woman
Location: Finland
Status: He is in prison
5. Antti Taskinen (3)
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| (Antti Olavi Taskinen) |
Antti Olavi Taskinen (born 1976) is a Finnish double-murderer, who is responsible for the deaths of at least two men in Tampere and Heinola. He was sentenced to life in prison on May 31, 2006.
Classification: Serial killer
Characteristics: Poisoner - For inheritance
Number of victims: 3
Date of murders: 1996 / 1997 / 2005
Date of arrest: January 2006
Date of birth: 1976
Victims profile: A 20-year-old student / A 30-year-old man / Markku Heimo Juhani Franssila, 54
Method of murder: Poisoning (Dolcotin and Abalgin overdoses)
Location: Tampere/Heinola, Finland
Status: Sentenced to life in prison on May 31, 2006
Taskinen was suspected to have killed his first victim, a 20-year-old student from Tampere, in August 1996. The victim died of a Dolcontin (morphine) overdose. This was initially considered an "aggravated involuntary manslaughter" (in Finnish: kuolemantuottamus) by the District Court, but later overturned in the Court of Appeal.
On February 1997 Taskinen was spending time in Tampere with a 30-year-old man. The man died, and a massive Abalgin (dextropropoxyphene) overdose was found from his blood. Before his death the victim had made a testament in favor of Taskinen. This was considered a manslaughter (in Finnish: tappo) by both the District Court and the Court of Appeal.
On November 2005 Taskinen murdered his final victim, Markku Heimo Juhani Franssila. He was a rich 54-year-old business manager, who had a villa in Heinola, where the murder took place. The men had lived in a registered partnership for the last four months. Franssila had died of an Abalgin overdose. The motive for that murder was the inheritance Taskinen would have been given.
Taskinen was arrested on January 2006. He was suspected for the murder of Franssila. The police soon started to suspect him of two earlier homicides too. He was found guilty, and on May 31, 2006 sentenced to life imprisonment for aggravated involuntary manslaughter, a manslaughter and a murder. Taskinen appealed the decision, and the hearing in the Court of Appeal started in February 2007. The court upheld the convictions on murder and manslaughter, but overturned the charge on "aggravated involuntary manslaughter" (kuolemantuottamus), stating the death might have been caused by a heroin overdose. The sentence of life imprisonment remained.
In May 2007 Taskinen tried to appeal to the Supreme Court, but no leave to appeal was granted, rendering his sentence final. Taskinen immediately sought pardon from the President, but the pardon was denied in July 2007.
4. Matti Haapoja (3 – 25)
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| (Matti Haapoja) |
Matti Heikinpoika Haapoja (September 16, 1845, Isokyrö – January 8, 1895, Turku) was a Finnish serial killer who was much covered by the press at the time of the murders. The exact number of his victims is unknown. He was convicted of two murders and was scheduled for a trial for his third murder trial when he committed suicide in his cell. He can be linked to seven other identified murder cases, but most of those happened during his exile in Siberia and are poorly documented, so his involvement is not certain.
It is claimed that he confessed to 18 murders, but there are no details about this supposed confession, and the figure should be regarded as unreliable. Some sources estimate his total number of murders as 22–25. He also non-fatally wounded at least six men in knife fights.
Classification: Serial killer
Number of victims: 3 – 25
Date of murders: 1867 – 1894
Date of arrest: October 1890, Porvoo
Born: Matti Heikinpoika Haapoja, September 16, 1845, Isokyrö, Finland
Died: January 8, 1895 (aged 49), Turku, Finland
Location: Finland and Siberia
Criminal penalty: Life imprisonment
Status: Suicide by hanging
Early life
Haapoja started his criminal career as a brawler, graduating quickly to stealing horses. His first known murder happened on December 6, 1867, when he stabbed his drinking partner Heikki Impponen in a drunken brawl. He was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison at Turku for his murder. During the next 10 years he escaped from prison four times, spending months at large on each occasion. Around this time he gained great notoriety as a jailbreaker and a thief. His fame as a robber started to grow after the newspapers reported that he had robbed and shot at Esa Nyrhinen on August 12, 1876. Later it was found that Nyrhinen had been hiding Haapoja at his home and the men had had an argument.
Murders
As a result of his escapes and continued thievery, Haapoja was sentenced to life in prison in 1874. After his last escape, he petitioned for his sentence to be changed to an exile to Siberia. This was accepted and he was sent to Omsk oblast in 1880. During his stay there, he is reputed to have killed a man in 1886, after which he was exiled to East Siberia. Folk stories claim that during this time Haapoja killed two other famous Finnish criminals, Juha Antinpoika Leskenantti Anssin Jukka and Kaappo Sutki, but these tales are likely false as they offer no conclusive proof.
Around 1889, Haapoja decided to escape Siberia and return to Finland. He later claimed that he intended to emigrate to America. He raised money for this escape by committing a series of robberies and murders. He probably killed at least three men and participated in the murder of a fourth. He also obtained a passport that belonged to a Russian man whose fate remains unclear.
Haapoja returned to Finland in September 1890. A month later, he murdered and robbed a prostitute, Jemina Salo. He was captured at Porvoo a couple of days later and recognized. At his trial Haapoja behaved arrogantly, confessing to this murder as well as to one of the murders he had committed in Siberia. He hoped that he would be sent back to Siberia but instead the court gave him a second life term in prison.
On October 10, 1894, Haapoja tried to escape from prison yet again. During this attempt he killed a guard and wounded two others. When he realized that he couldn't get out, he attempted to commit suicide by stabbing himself, but the wound was not fatal. However, as soon as he had recovered from the self-inflicted stabbing wound, he hanged himself in his cell on January 8, 1895. His skeleton was kept in the Museum of Crime in Vantaa for a long time, until he was finally buried in Ylistaro in 1995.
Writer Kaijus Ervasti wrote a book about Matti Haapoja called Murhamiehen muotokuva – Matti Haapoja 1845–1895 ("Portrait of a murderer – Matti Haapoja 1845–1895").
Victims:
Confirmed
- Farmer Heikki Antinpoika Impponen, who was stabbed to death on December 6, 1867.
- Prostitute Maria Jemina Salo, strangled on October 8, 1890.
- Prison guard Juho Rosted, stabbed on October 10, 1894.
Possible
- Farmers Matti Heikkilä and Hermanni Hautamäki who were clubbed to death by an unidentified man at Hämeenkyrö on November 15, 1869. Haapoja was in the area at the time and years later he confessed an unspecified murder "that had happened in November 1869".
- An unknown man who was killed in Siberia in 1886.
- A convict identified only as "Jaakko H." from Alajärvi, Finland, who was killed in Siberia in 1888.
- Estonian barkeeper Rugis was killed by Haapoja in Tomsk in 1889.
- "Rich-Matti" Kuivalainen, who was killed in Tomsk in 1889.
- Estonian convict Gustaf Sepp vanished without trace in Simonjovka, Siberia, in 1889, after he was last seen in the company of Haapoja.
It is possible there were more victims, but only these ten cases can be identified as certain or probable.
Attempts
- Brawler Juho Tenkku who was stabbed around Christmas, 1866.
- Farmer Hermanni Hösö was stabbed on December 6, 1867.
- Farmer Esa Nyrhinen was shot three times (twice in the leg, once in the face) on August 12, 1876.
- A farmer identified as "Koivuniemi from Vähäkyrö" who was stabbed when Haapoja was apprehended after his last prison escape in January 1879.
- Prison guards Juho Jernvall and Sven Nyman were stabbed during Haapoja's last escape attempt.
During his last escape he had a chance to attack one more guard, but did not, because this guard had always been nice to the prisoners.
3. Ismo Junni (5)
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| (Ismo Kullervo Junni. Casket) |
Ismo Kullervo Junni aka Dental Murderer (June 1943 - November 3, 1995) was a Finnish serial killer. In August 1980, he killed Helsingin Kontulassa. The evidence was not sufficient against him. The case was registered as accidents. In 1986 he went on to kill.
In 1990, during the interrogation by the police, Ismo Junn unexpectedly confessed to all the murders over the years. He was sentenced to life in prison. Died on November 3, 1995.
A.K.A.: Dental Murderer
Classification: Serial killer
Number of victims: 5
Date of murders: August 1980 - 1990
Date of arrest: February, 1992
Born: June 1943
Died: November 3, 1995
Victims profile: His wife, Seppo Mäntyniemen, Juha Väreen, Matti Haapasen, Pauli Sirosen
Location: Finland
Status: Sentenced to life in prison (minimum of 12 years before likely pardon) on February, 1992. Died on November 3, 1995.
2. Aino Nykopp-Koski (5)
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| (Aino Nykopp-Koski) |
Aino Nykopp-Koski (born 1950) is a Finnish serial killer. She worked as a nurse and was found guilty of killing five patients and the attempted murder of five more. No motive was established for the murders.
Birth name: Aino Kerttu Annikki Nykopp
Classification: Serial killer
Characteristics: Nurse - Poisoner - No motive was established for the murders
Number of victims: 5
Date of murders: 2004 - 2009
Date of arrest: March 2009
Date of birth: 1950
Victims profile: Patients (aged between 70 and 91)
Method of murder: Poisoning (overdoses of sedatives and opiates)
Conviction(s): 5 murders, 5 attempted murders, 3 aggravated assaults, 4 thefts, 2 drug possessions
Location: Finland
Status: Sentenced to life in prison (minimum of 12 years before likely pardon) on December 21, 2010
Between 2004 and 2009 Nykopp-Koski worked at a range of hospitals, care homes and patients' homes. There she killed five elderly patients using sedatives and opiates. She was apprehended in March 2009.
Nykopp-Koski was tried in Helsinki District Court in December 2010 and pleaded not-guilty, though the court convicted her. She was sentenced to life in prison (minimum of 12 years before likely pardon). During the mental health assessment psychiatrists found out that Nykopp-Koski is psychopathic and have an antisocial personality disorder, but she was deemed culpable for her actions. The sentence was upheld by Helsinki Court of Appeals in March 2012. Supreme Court of Finland dismissed her leave to appeal in November 2012.
List of crimes:
Jun. 22, 2004 – woman, 81, murdered.
Jun. 5, 2005 – man, 70, murdered.
Jun. 23, 2005 – aggravated assault; poisoned a colleague’s coffee.
Feb. 2006 – attempted murder, drugged woman, 91; possessions stolen. City of Helsinki. Agency: Care Services Chickweed Oy.
Oct. 26, 2006 – aggravated assault, drugged woman, 83. Home care; VKTL Services Ltd.
Oct. 27, 2006 – attempted murder, drugged man, 85. Home care; VKTL Services Ltd.
Nov. 22, 2006 – attempted murder, drugged woman, 83; VKTL Services Ltd.
Oct. 2007 – attempted murder, woman, 75; VKTL Services Ltd
Mar. 8, 2008 – murder, woman, 90 [poisoning began Feb. 25]; property stolen.
Aug. 31, 2008 – attempted murder, 77-year-old woman; possessions stolen.
Feb. 13, 2009 – woman, 77, murdered; lid Koti Helsinki Foundation for Seniors.
Mar. 2009 – attempted murder; woman, 80. “the nurse had prepared jugurttiannoksen [yogurt], mixed with a variety of life-threatening drugs.”
1. Juhani Aataminpoika (12)
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| (Juhani Aataminpoika aka Kerpeikkari) |
Juhani Aataminpoika aka Kerpeikkari (July 31, 1826 – September 1854) was a Finnish serial killer. He is the first known serial killer in Finnish history.
He killed in 1849 during October and November, 12 people in southern Finland. Shortly after this, on 20 November, Juhani Aataminpoika was captured.
Sentenced to life in prison. He was sent in January 1853 to Sveaborg fortress. Died in 1854.
Classification: Serial killer
Number of victims: 12
Date of murders: October and November, 1849
Date of arrest: November 20, 1849
Born: July 31, 1826, Vesivehmaa
Died: September 1854, Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland
Location: Finland
Status: Sentenced to life in prison. Died in 1854.