Antti Olavi Taskinen Finnish serial killer Country: Finland

1. Biography of Antti Olavi Taskinen
2. First Murder
3. Second Murder
4. Third Murder
5. Arrest and Conviction

Biography of Antti Olavi Taskinen

Antti Olavi Taskinen is a Finnish serial killer who was convicted for the murders of at least two men in Tampere and Heinola. He was sentenced to life imprisonment on May 31, 2006.

First Murder

Taskinen killed his first victim, a 20-year-old student from Tampere, in August 2006. He used a drug called dolcontine, which is based on morphine, as the murder weapon. The overdose of dolcontine ended the young man's life. Initially, the authorities, particularly the representatives of the district court, considered the incident to be an unintentional murder under aggravating circumstances. However, the case was brought to the appellate court, revealing a much more complex situation.

Second Murder

In February 1997, Taskinen found himself in Tampere again, this time with a 30-year-old man. Taskinen's companion died, and a large dose of abalgin (dextropropoxyphene) was found in his blood. The victim managed to give testimonies before his death, which supported Taskinen. Nevertheless, both the district and appellate courts initiated murder cases.

Third Murder

Taskinen killed his third and final victim, Markku Heimo Juhani Franssila, a wealthy 54-year-old manager, in November 2005. The murder took place at Franssila's villa in Heinola, where Taskinen and Franssila lived together for at least four months in a registered union. Like the first victim, Franssila died from an overdose of abalgin. This time, law enforcement authorities were able to establish clear motives for the crime as Franssila had left a substantial inheritance for Taskinen.

Arrest and Conviction

Taskinen was arrested in January 2006. Initially, he was only charged with the murder of Franssila, but soon police linked him to the first two cases as well. Ultimately, Taskinen was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment for unintentional murder under aggravating circumstances, murder, and intentional murder. Taskinen appealed the decision in the appellate court and had some success as the first of the three charges was dropped, with the court ruling that the presumed first victim died of a heroin overdose. However, the overall verdict did not alleviate Taskinen's sentence, and he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Taskinen attempted to appeal to the Supreme Court in May 2007, but his request was denied, and his sentence remained in effect. He also sought presidential pardon in July 2007, but his plea was unsuccessful.