Elderly man found not guilty by reason of insanity in fatal shooting over timber dispute

An 85-year-old man from Taivalkoski, northern Finland, has been ruled not guilty by reason of insanity in the fatal shooting of a father of three, Oulu District Court announced on Wednesday. The court determined the elderly man was mentally incapable of understanding his actions at the time of the killing, which stemmed from a long-standing dispute over timber sales.

The incident occurred in March 2025 at a village hall in Taivalkoski, where the accused fired a weapon during a local fishing association meeting, killing a timber buyer employed by a forestry company. At least eight bystanders were present during the shooting.

Prosecutors had sought a murder conviction, while the defence argued the act constituted manslaughter, a lesser charge. The court ordered a psychiatric evaluation last summer, which concluded this spring that the elderly man lacked criminal responsibility due to his mental state at the time of the offence.

The accused had himself requested the mental health assessment. In addition to the fatal shooting, prosecutors accused him of endangering others by discharging the firearm in a public setting.