Western Uusimaa Police Department has finished the preliminary investigation in a case where an approximately 30-year-old man was shot in a private residence in Espoo. The case proceeds to consideration of charges with the criminal offence being murder. The suspect is an approximately 65-year-old man whose relationship with the victim had ended a few weeks before the crime.
Police was called to the private residence at Henttaa, Espoo on Sunday October 13th, 2024, at approximately 8pm. The call was made by a friend of the approximately 30-year-old man that had been visiting the residence. Because the friend had not been able to contact the man, the friend begun to get worried. As the friend arrived at the residence, they saw the victim through the window and called the emergency number.
Several police patrols arrived at the scene where they found the approximately 30-year-old man deceased. The police apprehended the suspect, an approximately 65-year-old man, at the scene.
Homicide committed with a shotgun
The victim had arrived at the suspect's apartment on Sunday, October 13th, between 2pm and 3pm. The apartment had previously been the home shared by the victim and the suspect. The reason for this visit was to make practical arrangements.
– The police suspects that very soon after the victim arrived at the apartment, he was shot twice in the chest area. The gun was a type of shotgun used for hunting. The suspect had a licence for the gun in Norway, says lead investigator, Detective Chief Inspector Matti Högman.
The suspect admitted to shooting the victim and causing his death. During the crime, there weren't any other people at the apartment and no bystanders were at risk.
The relationship between the victim and the suspect had ended
The police conducted technical investigation at the scene and confiscated a shotgun as an instrument used in the crime. The crime scene was documented by photography and the investigators conducted a bloodstain analysis.
In addition to hearing the suspect, the police heard several witnesses. Based on the hearings, the police suspects that the fact that the relationship between the victim and the suspect had ended shortly before the crime was an important factor in the events.
On the basis of the factors uncovered in the preliminary investigation, the police suspects the crime was conducted with premeditation and in a particularly brutal and cruel manner. For these reasons, the police suspects the approximately 65-year-old man of murder.
– There are no other criminal offences related to this case. The preliminary investigation is now ready and the case proceeds to consideration of charges after this week, says Högman.
The details police communicates about a case are limited by several factors
The Act on the Openness of Government Activities limits what the police can disclose about the investigation. According to Section 24, Subsection 1, Paragraph 3, the material of the documents obtained or prepared for purposes of criminal investigations shall be secret until the case has been heard in court. An exception from the confidentiality can only be made if it is apparent that releasing information does not, for instance, risk the proceedings of the case to the court of law.
In this case particularly, presenting the details of the evidence publicly before the main proceedings can disrupt the trial. The court's decision must be based only on the evidence presented in the main proceedings.
– Furthermore, the police takes into consideration the fact that presenting details in public may cause suffering for the people that the crime affected, says Högman.
Finally, the police cannot confirm any identities of the parties involved. The police can only tell a person's name in public if it is absolutely necessary to either solve a crime, to reach a suspect, to prevent a new crime from happening, or to prevent harm caused by a crime.
