Nordmo appeals life sentence for Janne Puhakka murder

Norwegian veterinarian Rolf Nordmo is seeking to have his life sentence for murdering former ice hockey player Janne Puhakka reduced to a manslaughter sentence, Yle reports. The Helsinki Court of Appeal began hearing the case on Monday.

The prosecution is asking the court to uphold Nordmo’s life sentence for murder. Nordmo and Puhakka’s relatives have brought new witnesses to the appeal hearing, while the prosecution is relying on the same evidence presented at the trial in the Western Uusimaa District Court.

The district court sentenced Nordmo to life in prison in April last year. It found that he shot Puhakka twice with a shotgun in October 2024 and then struck him several times in the head with the gun’s metal barrel after he had fallen to the floor.

The killing took place when Puhakka visited the couple’s former shared home in Henttaa, Espoo, after their separation. Puhakka was 29 and Nordmo 66 at the time.

The district court ruled that Puhakka died from gunshot wounds and severe head injuries. It described the murder as particularly brutal, but not especially cruel or carefully planned in the sense defined by Finland’s Criminal Code.

Nordmo denied committing murder at the district court but admitted to manslaughter carried out in a sudden fit of anger. He is now asking the Court of Appeal to change the conviction to manslaughter, for which the maximum sentence is 12 years in prison.

Puhakka’s relatives had hoped Nordmo would not appeal, saying they wanted to continue their grieving process. Nordmo appealed despite their request, leading to the new proceedings.