#sini ruohonen

[finnishcrimestory]

Sini Ruohonen

Sini Ruohonen was a 25 year old mother for two boys (ages 1 and 3) and a wife to her 31 year old husband Antti Samuli Ruohonen. They lived in a farm in Pöytyä where they kept dogs, cats, chickens and sheep. They had met back in 2015 via their mutual friend, and they got married the next year. Their marriage seemed happy and balanced, and according to their closed ones there was never any violence. The couple however were pretty different and the differences in their personalities came clear already at the start of their relationship. Sini was described as being very outspoken, humorous, cheerful and she had a strong will. Antti was quiet, calm, trustworthy and kind and he kept his distance. Family friends have told that Sini was very dominant and overbearing towards Antti, and that he usually was very compliant. Some of the friends also told that they hadn't seen Antti smiling much for the past four years. “He was tired and walked like a zombie”. According to the friends his behavior had changed in the past couple years, but he was never aggressive or violent.

In September 2020 during weekend Sini's family couldn't get a hold of her. She didn't answer her phone and nobody knew where she was. When the relatives asked if Antti knew, he told that Sini had left their home after an argument. Witnesses told Antti's voice had been hoarse and it sounded like he had been crying. Eventually Sini's relatives pressured him on making a missing person's report on Monday, 14th of September. The police published information about Sini and she was searched around their property with sniffer dogs.

On Thursday, 17th of September the police arrested Antti, suspecting that he killed Sini. Antti had told the police that Sini didn't answer her phone, but eventually the police found out Sini's phone was completely shut down. Antti's behavior, inconsistency in the things he told raised the suspicion towards him, and also Sini's relatives told that disappearing just like this would've not been possible. After two days of his arrest, Antti confessed on killing Sini.

On 11th of September 2020 during the day Sini had called Antti and accused him of taking her wallet. Later it was found from Sini's bag. When Antti arrived home Sini had left to collect mushrooms and after getting back home she had started to bake a pie. It was Antti's job to make porridge for their two young boys in the evening, and when this happened Sini had complained how it was way too tough again.

“When I arrived home I found the wallet in her bag. Sini thought it was hilarious.”

After the kids were put to bed for the night, Sini and Antti had been in the living room. According to Antti he had tried to discuss the fight they had had but Sini didn't want to. After some time Sini had went to bed. Antti told the investigators that he had waited for about 30 minutes, thinking things over and then joined Sini in their bedroom.

When he went to the bedroom he started to strangle Sini and continued even when they both fell off from the bed. After Sini died, Antti fetched a computer cord and finished off choking her with it. Their 1 year old son was sleeping in the same room while all this happened. The 3 year old son was also in the house. When Sini died, she was 20 weeks pregnant with their third child.

"I stayed in the living room, the tv was on but I didn't watch it. I sat there and thought about things. Then I walked in the bedroom and strangled her."

After this Antti wrapped Sini's body in a carpet and took the body out and moved it to a swamp area with his tractor, located about 4 kilometers (2 miles) away from their home. He buried the body and then went back home. He shut Sini's phone and later also buried it at the same area.

(The phone was found from near the buildings, and Sini's body was found from where the arrow is pointing.)

Antti doesn't have criminal past. He is deeply regretful for what he did. He still hasn't been able to give any motive for the killing other than “getting fed up”. Sini's sister has been suspecting if he had been planning it for longer time: he lied to everybody's faces and hid the body. According to her if a man kills his wife by accident, he wouldn't be able to continue his life normally after it.

Antti told the police that he had snapped. The last things he had been thinking about before going to the bedroom was all the fights they had had during the week and during that day.

"I was overwhelmed by uncontrollable hatred. All the grudges and things left unsaid came to my mind. I lost all control. My hatred was repressed. At that moment I didn't feel anything, but afterwards I have felt remorse and self loathing."

Antti Ruohonen was sentenced for 10 years in prison for manslaughter and violation of the grave. He also needs to pay 70 000 euros to Sini's family. He is serving his sentence in Turku prison.