Murder trial delayed in Oulu as one suspect disappears

A murder trial set to begin in Oulu District Court has been postponed after one of the two men charged in a 2025 fatal assault could not be located, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports.

The case involves a 40-year-old man who died from injuries sustained in an attack in the Kaukovainio district of Oulu on 7 May 2025. Police were alerted to the scene on Tornihaukantie street at around 4 a.m., where they found the victim severely beaten and unconscious outside a private residence. He later died in hospital.

Two men, aged 26 and 34 at the time, were arrested in the early stages of the investigation. Both were held in pre-trial detention but released in August 2025 after the preliminary investigation concluded. Prosecutors later charged both with manslaughter.

The trial was scheduled to begin on Thursday, but court officials confirmed the delay after a process server failed to deliver a summons to one of the defendants. Authorities have not disclosed which of the two men remains untraceable.

Oulu District Court has rescheduled the trial for September. Police typically issue a public search notice for criminal defendants who cannot be reached through standard procedures.