This page has been translated from sources not in English and may contain inaccuracies or errors.
Kokkola John Doe was a man whose decomposed body was discovered near a barn in Kokkola, Finland. The cause of death was strangulation, but Finnish police have yet to solve the decedent's case.
Case[]
On 8 September 1952, a body was found under a barn in Kokkola, Finland. The barn owners had noticed a rotting smell since 7 September, when they took their cows to a pasture but didn't investigate the scent until the next day when they discovered the body and informed the police.
The body was naked and heavily decomposed, rendering the police unable to determine gender at first. The body was found in a small ditch underneath the barn. The ditch had been recently dug and was only wide enough for a single adult male to slip through and into it. No missing person reports were made in the area that could be matched to the body. The barn owners initially thought that the body belonged to a dog and only realized it was a human body when they saw a sock after pulling on one of the legs.
The body was examined by Vaasa County Medical Officer O. Hokkanen. Hokkanen was unable to determine when the man was killed and was only able to state that it was as early as three weeks prior or as late as the previous spring. His death was ruled a homicide as 70m of electric wire was wrapped around his neck, and a half towel with blue stripes on a white background similar to those used by the Finnish army was also around his neck. It is unknown where the murder took place.
The police searched the surrounding areas near and inside the barn. They recovered a pair of overcoats and underpants, although it's unknown if this is related to the case. The clothing, which appeared to be army issue, had its stamps and tags removed. The clothing was made of patch fabric and was grey and brown with light stripes. The clothing appeared to have been washed recently.
The decedent's remains were buried on 11 September.
Characteristics[]
- Thin build.
- Brown hair.
- Missing one tooth on the left side.
- Two damaged teeth on the right side.
Clothing and accessories[]
- White and blue towel.
- Gray and brown overcoat.
- Gray and brown pants.
- Cap labeled "No.58".
- Torn blue sock with a grayish pattern.
Sources[]
- Newspaper article (Finnish)
- Murha (Finnish)