Janne Puhakka, a 29-year-old former professional hockey player and reality TV star in Finland, was found dead in his Espoo home on Saturday night. The alleged perpetrator is his 66-year-old ex-partner, Rolf Nordmo, who reportedly confessed to the crime. The couple had recently ended their relationship, but Puhakka had returned to the home they once shared to discuss practical matters when the fatal incident occurred.
Nordmo, a Norwegian-born veterinarian, was taken into custody at the scene. Initially arrested on manslaughter charges, the severity of the crime was later escalated to murder. The police statement suggested that the act was suspected to have been carried out with premeditation and in a particularly brutal and cruel manner.
The authorities have not officially released the names of the victim or the suspect. However, they confirmed that the two had been in a relationship and that the motive for the crime was the end of their relationship. The reasons for their breakup remain unclear.
Puhakka and Nordmo began their relationship in 2014, keeping it a secret until Puhakka came out as gay following his retirement from professional hockey in 2018. Puhakka, who was 19 when they started dating, had previously expressed fear about revealing his sexuality in the hyper-masculine world of sports.
In a 2022 interview with the South West News Service, Puhakka admitted that he had initially lied about his relationship with Nordmo, telling some people that Nordmo was his uncle to avoid questions. He expressed regret about having to hide his relationship, stating that it was not pleasant to conceal the person he loved.
Despite their significant age difference, the couple had a strong bond. Nordmo once described Puhakka as an old soul in a young body and himself as a young soul in an old body. Puhakka, who started his professional hockey career in 2015, played for the Espoo Blues and Espoo United in Finland’s Liiga hockey league. He later joined the Rapaces de Gap side in France’s Ligue Magnus league in 2017 before retiring.
The investigation into Puhakka’s death is ongoing.