Court inspects site where Saara Arva’s remains were found

The Northern Savonia District Court on Thursday conducted a rare site inspection at the remote location in Vesanto where Saara Arva’s remains were found, Yle reports. The prosecution and defence disagreed over what the inspection demonstrated.

Prosecutor Antti Lampén requested the inspection to show that Arva was unlikely to have reached the difficult terrain on foot. The defence maintains that she may have walked there herself.

The remains were found two years ago on a hard-to-reach peninsula on the shore of Lake Iso Vesijärvi, about 10 kilometres from central Vesanto.

Arva, who was from Helsinki, disappeared in Vesanto around the turn of August and September 2019. Mika Moring is accused of killing her and of aggravated deprivation of liberty. He denies the charges.

The prosecution is seeking a prison sentence of between nine and a half and 10 years for Moring. The trial began last week.

The court’s judges, the prosecutor, and representatives for Moring and the injured parties attended the inspection. Moring was not present.

The inspection at the discovery site was brief and ended before noon. Those who attended left the location by boat.

The proceedings then continued at a place where Moring has said he last saw Arva. The participants also viewed houses whose doors Moring said he knocked on while looking for her.

The court is due to continue hearing Moring on Friday and is expected to hear at least one defence witness. Closing arguments from the prosecution and defence are also scheduled.

The verdict is expected around the middle of September.