Toivo Koljonen
Encyclopedia
Toivo Harald "Kirves" Koljonen (1912–1943) was the last Finn executed for a civilian crime. He was executed by firing squad for a sextuple murder
.
Koljonen was born 1912 in Lahti
, Finland
. He had been sentenced to prison and had been incarcerated at Riihimäki
prison, where he had been moved to Huittinen
auxiliary prison. He escaped from prison in 1943 and attempted to hide from the searchers.
He found a nearby farmhouse, where a family of six - mother, grandparents and two children - lived; the father and eldest son had been conscripted
into the army. Koljonen first hid in the stable
, where he killed a daughter of the family with an axe
. He then broke in the living quarters, where he killed the other five people with the same axe
(kirves in Finnish language
, hence the nickname). He also killed the wife of the neighbour, who was visiting the family. Koljonen escaped, but was caught at Valkeakoski
.
According to the law in force during the war, Koljonen was sentenced to death for the six murders. He was shot together with convicted Soviet infiltrators at Kärsämäki
quarry, near Turku
1943.
Koljonen was the last Finn to be executed for a civilian crime in Finland. All subsequent executions were for military crimes. After Koljonen, a handful of Finns were sentenced to death for murder. Their sentences were commuted to life imprisonment in 1945. Capital punishment was abolished for civilian crimes in Finnish law 1949.
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
.
Koljonen was born 1912 in Lahti
Lahti
Lahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. He had been sentenced to prison and had been incarcerated at Riihimäki
Riihimäki
Riihimäki is a town and municipality in the south of Finland, about north of Helsinki and southeast of Tampere. It is somewhat of a railway junction, since the railway tracks going from different parts of the nation to Helsinki merge there. Sako, Ltd...
prison, where he had been moved to Huittinen
Huittinen
Huittinen is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the Satakunta region. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
auxiliary prison. He escaped from prison in 1943 and attempted to hide from the searchers.
He found a nearby farmhouse, where a family of six - mother, grandparents and two children - lived; the father and eldest son had been conscripted
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
into the army. Koljonen first hid in the stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
, where he killed a daughter of the family with an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
. He then broke in the living quarters, where he killed the other five people with the same axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
(kirves in Finnish language
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
, hence the nickname). He also killed the wife of the neighbour, who was visiting the family. Koljonen escaped, but was caught at Valkeakoski
Valkeakoski
Valkeakoski is a town and municipality in Finland.Valkeakoski is located south of Tampere and north of Helsinki in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Pirkanmaa region. The municipality has a population of...
.
According to the law in force during the war, Koljonen was sentenced to death for the six murders. He was shot together with convicted Soviet infiltrators at Kärsämäki
Kärsämäki
Kärsämäki is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water...
quarry, near Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
1943.
Koljonen was the last Finn to be executed for a civilian crime in Finland. All subsequent executions were for military crimes. After Koljonen, a handful of Finns were sentenced to death for murder. Their sentences were commuted to life imprisonment in 1945. Capital punishment was abolished for civilian crimes in Finnish law 1949.