Man appeals life sentence for killing support family mother
Finland A man serving a life sentence for killing the mother of a family that had served as his support family has appealed to the Court of Appeal, Yle reports.
His lawyer, Henry Saleva, said the defendant admits manslaughter but denies murder. The South Savo District Court sentenced Niklas Joska Oliver Turpeinen, now in his twenties, to life imprisonment. He is asking the appeal court to replace the sentence with a fixed-term prison sentence. Manslaughter carries a minimum sentence of eight years.
On July 6, 2025, Turpeinen assaulted a taxi driver in Jyväskylä and later that night killed the woman in Mikkeli. After the killing, he set fire to the apartment while she was inside. He was 19 at the time and gave no motive for the killing in district court.
Saleva said there was no reason for the appeal to be treated as urgent because Turpeinen’s sentence would remain long. He expects the Court of Appeal to issue a decision early next year.