Finnish police continue murder investigation into 1988 disappearance of Piia Ristikankare

Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (KRP) has conducted new searches in Piikkiö as part of the ongoing murder investigation into the 1988 disappearance of 15-year-old Piia Ristikankare, reports Yle. On Monday, investigators examined a well on a property near the border of Piikkiö and Paimio, though no breakthrough was made.

Investigation leader Matti Airaksinen confirmed the search was linked to the Ristikankare case but declined to specify what police were seeking, citing operational reasons. “This was one investigative measure among others,” he stated. “We determined the well was not connected to the case.”

The KRP received assistance from the Finnish Defence Forces for the excavation work. Airaksinen noted that while time weakens the chances of solving cold cases, “we have seen cases decades old eventually resolved.”

Ristikankare, then 15, vanished in October 1988. The case was reclassified as a murder investigation in 2001, with the KRP taking over in 2003. Police have previously searched other locations, including coastal areas, in connection with the case.

Media coverage of the latest search has prompted new public tips, which authorities are reviewing. The property examined lies roughly 4.5 kilometres from Ristikankare’s home.