Unsolved Mysteries: Slaughter at Lake Bodom

Was a Friend Really Responsible for the Massacre of Three People at a Tranquil Finnish Getaway?

Finland is rich in unsolved and infamous crimes. There was the stove murder in Kokemäki, the disappearance of Hilkka Laitinen, the Helsinki cellar killings, and the notorious Viking Sally mystery. However, three of the most infamous all have one name linked to them — Hans Assmann, a self-confessed former SS officer, and guard at Auschwitz. He has been linked with the murder of Kyllikki Saari in 1953 and the double murder at a Tulilahti campsite in 1959. Yet, the most infamous of all is possibly the country’s most well-known cold case, the Lake Bodom murders.

It was June 4, 1960. Finland was a country undergoing significant changes, as was much of Europe. The nation was beginning to move away from its traditional agricultural background, having joined the Nordic Council in 1955 and on the brink of becoming an associate member of the European Free Trade Association. The shift away from agrarianism turned the country into one of the most technologically advanced globally. The West had a particular interest in Finland’s development due to its proximity to the Soviet Union. Yet, fear of the USSR was still rife for many, and KGB agents seemingly lurked in every shadow.