Terno Hedman withdraws Supreme Court appeal in Tampere murder case after media report

A man convicted of murdering his pregnant partner in Tampere has withdrawn his appeal to Finland’s Supreme Court after learning that the media had reported on his request for leave to appeal, Yle reports.

Terno Alkki Rikhard Hedman, 38, was sentenced to life imprisonment in January by the Turku Court of Appeal for the murder of his girlfriend on Hämeenkatu street in central Tampere in September 2024. He initially sought permission to appeal the ruling but later retracted the request.

According to Hedman’s lawyer, Henry Saleva, the decision to withdraw came after the tabloid Ilta-Sanomat published a story about the appeal. “He wanted to put an end to this matter. He has prepared himself for life in prison and accepts the Court of Appeal’s verdict,” Saleva told the newspaper.

The Supreme Court confirmed to Yle that the appeal withdrawal does not yet make the verdict legally binding. The court will issue its own decision on the withdrawal before the case is closed. The victim’s child has not filed an appeal.

Murder of pregnant woman in broad daylight

The killing took place in central Tampere in September 2024. Hedman shot his pregnant girlfriend three times, with the final shot fired at close range. Both the woman and her unborn child died. Her young child, who was present, was unharmed.

The victim had previously fled to a women’s shelter due to Hedman’s violence and had expressed fear that he would kill her. Hedman, who was reportedly jealous, traveled from Parkano to Tampere by taxi with a loaded pistol. Before the shooting, he had used the synthetic drug alpha-PVP.