FINNISH MURDERS: The Tulilahti Double Murders (PART 1)

 In the summer of 1959, friends Riitta and Eine decide to cycle across Eastern Finland on the way to see spectacular Koli National Park. The girls were young, beautiful and had a thirst for adventure. Sadly, they never returned from this trip.

The Tulilahti Double Murders case is one of the most prolific crimes in Finland. They deaths have been connected to the case of Kyllikki Saari, a young girl that died in an unsolved murder in 1953. There were some similarities in both cases. Was there a serial killer on the loose, having a thirst for murdering young women? Or, was it just a sad series of coincidences?

A SUMMER ADVENTURE

Immerse yourself in the beauty of Finland's summer at its finest - the middle of July. It's the perfect time to take a break and travel, just like many Finnish people do. Whether you choose to explore the stunning landscapes within the country or venture to a foreign land, this time of year promises unforgettable experiences. And guess what? This tradition of summer travel dates back to 1959 and beyond, proving that some things never change.

Best friends, Riitta Aulikki Pakkanen and Eine Maria Nyyssönen were planning their own summer adventure. The pair met the earlier spring, their friendship was still fresh, but the pair were remarkably close. Riitta was 23 years old and working as an office assistant, while Eine was two years younger and studying to be a nurse. They were both living in Jyväskylä at the time.

The two victims had good relationship with the family and were living at home

Their plan was to take their bicycles and pack some camping equipment, including a tent. Then, they would cycle through the Finnish countryside through the Savo and North Karelia regions for a few weeks, until they reached their destination at Koli National Park. Their journey was set to start on 18 July, and they were set to be back by end of July. Work would start in early August, so it was important that they returned home on time.

On 25 July 1959, Eine's family received a postcard from Koli where she informed them that they were planning to also visit Varkaus, and she again assured them that she would return home at the end of the month, on July 30th.

However, by August 3rd, Eine's family had not heard anything from the girls. By this point, their families and acquaintances were extremely worried. Riitta's workplace was fretting because she was supposed to return to work in the beginning of August, and it was very unlike her to disappear without informing anyone. The parents contacted the police and filed missing person reports.

The girls were known for their striking appearances. Both were attractive and stylish. The girls were the same height of around 162cm. Eine was of slim built with a round face and blue-green eyes. Riitta had blonde hair and blue-grey eyes, she had an oval face and calm demeanor. Both of them had very good relationship with their families, and were still living at home. 

 Eine Maria Nyyssönen (left) and Riitta Aulikki Pakkanen (right)

It was soon traced that the last known address where they were seen was at the Jutunen's guesthouse in Polvijärvi. The dates were 26th to 27th of July. Police presumed that they were on their way to Varkaus from there. And it was suspected that they had some sort of accident. A big storm had recently hit the area, police thought that the girls could have been hit by lightning. 

When the police investigated in Varkaus, they did not find much. The few leads they had failed in any breakthroughs in the case. The Finnish Air Force was asked to help fly over the area and take pictures, to see if they could spot any signs of the missing girls. They were taking aerial photographs of the area and surrounds to look for trees damaged by lightning and areas disturbed by strong wind. Their parents also made the trip to help with the search. 

After six days of looking for the missing girls, two local men confessed to police that they spent time with the ladies at a local campsite. Keijo and Heikki told police everything that they could remember of the night in question.

A SHOCKING DISCOVERY

With some fresh leads, the police, accompanied by a motivated volunteer search party, combed the area for any signs of the two missing girls. Divers search the bottom of the lake for a hundred meters but did not find anything. The local army was also engaged to help with the search.

On August 21, 1959, army conscript Mauno Kiviaho stumbled upon the bodies of Pakkanen and Nyyssönen buried in a bog close to the Tulilahti campsite, located in Heinävesi. This was about fourty-seven kilometres from Varkaus.

When police looked at the remains, they found that Pakkanen was dead by blunt force trauma, from a heavy object. Nyyssönen had been stabbed and was found naked. There was no evidence that she had been sexually assaulted.

The perpetrator had put a big amount of effort to cover up the crime. The grave was dug two hundred meters from the camp. The bodies were placed in a swamp where the killer dug a hole three meters long and about twenty-five centimetres deep. This was camouflaged by thick logs and large pieces of peat. It was speculated that the killer would have dug the hole deeper, but he hit a fallen branch and stopped. Another branch was used to disguise the crime scene to make it look less disturbed.

The crime scene was covered in branches to disguise it 

Another detail that was similar to the Kyllikki Saari case, besides being buried in a bog, was that the girls' faces and torsos were covered. A black anorak was placed over Eine's face. Other pieces of clothing had also been placed on top of the women, in a way to hide the fact that Riitta was naked. Police concluded that Riitta had not been undressed by the assailant but was nude when they were attacked. She was probably going to swim in the local lake or on the way to have a shower.

Their other belongings were also put out of sight carefully. Some items were missing, such as all their money. This made it look like a murder-robbery. A few weeks later, on September 4th, police found the girls' bicycles buried in the deepest part of Tulilahti lake. The killer had used a boat to row there and dump the bikes.

INVESTIGATION

The police enquiry revealed that the victims arrived at the campsite on July 27. They settled in and pitched their tent. After that, they spent some time with the two local men, Keijo and Heikki arrived at the campsite with a motorboat. Police believe that the two were already friends.

The campsite was in a very bad condition. It was a cramped fifty meters by twenty meters, with felled trees littering the area from a recent storm. There was no facilities in the area, but there was an outhouse. Keijo helped the women light a fire. They boiled some water to make cocoa and ate some small snacks. The boys made some coffee and enjoyed their time with the two young ladies. The atmosphere was jovial. The two young men left Riitta and Eine at half past midnight.

The girls belongings found at the crime scene 

Witnesses described to police how Keijo and Heikki have not been the only visitors to the campsite. They saw a strange man with a moped driving suspiciously after the two girls.  This creeper was seen lurking around the area in the daytime, and also in the evening. He went to hide in the toilet after sunset. He was described as acting in being voyeuristic and stalking the girls.

The coroner surmised that the murder happened the same night or early in the morning on the next day. By sunup the next morning, the campsite was devoid of any belongings. Crime scene investigators figured out that the killer slashed the tent, went inside and at once started to kill the girls. He stabbed Riitta in the back, as she was trying to escape, and the also stabbed Eine. When that did not kill her, he struck her on the head. It was a very aggressive attack

The police conducted a thorough investigation. Another ''trial by media'' started. Stories started to run amok in the media about the girls and the events surrounding their deaths. Police questions over one thousand individuals and made over twenty arrests. 

In Part 2, we will have a look further into the police investigation and into the list of suspects.

References:

• Iltalehti: Kuka murhasi nuoret naiset?
• Iltalehti: Riitta, 23, ja Eine, 21, ovat yhä vailla oikeutta: Poliisi saa vieläkin vinkkejä verisestä kaksoismurhasta, jonka pääepäilty riisti itseltään hengen puoli vuosisataa sitten
• The Land of a Thousand Lakes: Double murder in Tulilahti camping site
• Iltasanomat: Murhapaikalta Tulilahdesta löytyi outo lappu, josta viestitettiin jopa FBI:lle – ennen näkemätön poliisin materiaali julki