Police identify 21-year-old woman as suspect in unsolved murder case of Minna Suominen in Turku

The police have identified a 21-year-old woman as a suspect in the unsolved murder case of a mother from Turku. The case revolves around Minna Suominen, a 46-year-old mother of two, who disappeared from Turku’s Perniö in January 2012. Documents obtained by Yle reveal new insights into the early stages of the investigation.

During the disappearance investigation in the spring of 2012, police received detailed information regarding Suominen’s potential fate. Witness accounts reported that Minna Suominen was seen “lying lifeless in a pool of blood” in a private residence in Turku. The resident of the property stated to police that Suominen had been killed with a sharp object. According to the same witness, a 21-year-old woman was seen using the weapon shortly before Suominen’s death.

In police questioning, the woman admitted she was present in the residence around the time of Suominen’s disappearance but denied using any violence. She claimed that due to her substance use, she could not provide clear details about the incident but believed that a woman named Minna had been there.

Based on a request from Yle, the preliminary investigation documents indicate that police deemed the woman’s account unconvincing and received additional information suggesting the suspect had attacked Suominen with a knife. The woman was arrested on the police’s recommendation in early May 2012, but insufficient evidence led to her release after a month in custody.

After more than a decade with little progress, the Turku police believe they are close to solving the case and currently have one suspect who is not in custody. The investigation, which included searching for Suominen’s body in the Laajoki river, is nearing completion, with possible forwarding to prosecutors as soon as September.