A 19-year-old man confessed to killing his former foster mother in Mikkeli, Finland. He told the court he only wanted to steal her car but panicked when she woke up.
The teenager admitted striking the woman with a hammer but claimed he only remembered hitting her three times. Evidence presented in court suggests the victim suffered at least 25 blows.
"I hit as hard as I could," the defendant said during testimony. He claimed he only realized later that hammer blows to the head could be fatal.
The incident occurred on July 6 when the suspect traveled from Jyväskylä to Mikkeli's Otava district by taxi. He had reportedly stolen that taxi earlier that morning in Jyväskylä.
Court documents reveal the young man decided to go to Mikkeli while in Vaajakoski. He made the final decision to target the Otava home after passing through Kangasniemi.
The accused told authorities he needed the woman's car because police were already searching for the stolen taxi. He believed using a different vehicle would help him avoid detection.
This case highlights the brutal nature of the crime, with the suspect showing little regard for the woman who had previously served as his foster mother. The disconnect between his claimed three strikes and the actual 25 blows raises questions about the reliability of his testimony.
Mikkeli is a city in southern Finland's South Savonia region, approximately 230 kilometers northeast of Helsinki. The case continues to develop as more evidence emerges in court proceedings.