Karl Emil Malmelin
Karl Emil Malmelin (16 January 1872 – 26 February 1944[1]) was a Finnish farmworker and mass murderer.
Karl Emil Malmelin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 January 1872 |
| Died | 26 February 1944 |
| Occupation | Farmworker |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Details | |
| Date | 10 May 1899 |
| Location(s) | Klaukkala, Nurmijärvi, Finland |
| Killed | 7 |
| Weapon | Axe |
Malmelin was born 1872 in Espoo as an illegitimate child to Helena Gustava Malmelin, the maid of Lahnus croft.[2][3] As an adult, Malmelin ended up in the Simola croft in Klaukkala, a southern village of the Nurmijärvi municipality, to serve as a farmworker.[4] The croft was hosted by Johan Ezekiel Aspelin. At that time, Malmelin had begun dating Edla, the croft's daughter,[4] but when she had not consented to be Malmelin's wife, wrathful Malmelin killed the entire croft's people in retaliation on 10 May 1899, using an axe as a weapon.[5] Three of the victims were women and two were children. Malmelin was arrested a couple of weeks later.[6]
Malmelin was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Turku Court of Appeal. The murder case was also broadside balladed and Nurmijärvi parish received a bad reputation as Murhajärvi (literally means "murder lake"). Malmelin spent 13 years of his life in prison until he was pardoned by Nicholas II in 1912.[7] The later events of Malmelin's life have remained unknown.[8]
Nowadays, Malmelin is still one of the worst axe murderers in Finnish history, along with Toivo Koljonen.
Sources
- Keskisarja, Teemu (2015). Kirves: Toivo Harald Koljosen rikos ja rangaistus. Siltala. ISBN 978-952-234-324-6.
References
- Geni.com
- "Espoo > syntyneet, 1860–1890 > 128: 12 1871/ 01 1872" (in Finnish). Suomen Sukuhistoriallinen yhdistys (SSHY). Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- "Espoo > rippikirja, 1868–1877 > 318: Kurtby, Smeds Frälse hemman" (in Finnish). Suomen Sukuhistoriallinen yhdistys (SSHY). Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- "Simolan torpan kaamea surmatyö" (in Finnish). Nurmijärvi-Seura ry. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- Russie Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine, Journal de Gèneve (May 13, 1899)
– Ett oerhördt brott, Hufvudstadsbladet (May 11, 1899)
– Seitseman hengen murhasta Nurmijarvella, Päivälehti (May 13, 1899)
– Massmördaren gripen, Västra Finland (May 27, 1899)
– Faststälda domar, Borgåbladet (September 9, 1899) - "Nurmijärwen murhamies renki Karl Emil Malmelin wangittu". Digikansalliskirjasto (in Finnish). Uusi Suometar. 25 May 1899. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- "Kirvessurmien kakkosmies" (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- Leitzinger, Antero (9 February 2015). "Kakola – myyttejä ja karua todellisuutta" (in Finnish). Agricola. Retrieved 13 August 2019.