Estonian police detain teenage suspects in Pärnu murder case

TALLINN - The Estonian police were informed on Sunday that the body of a 59-year-old man had been found in the Tammiste village, Tori rural municipality, and by Monday evening, police had detained two teenage boys suspected of involvement in the murder.

Üllar Kütt, head of the Pärnu police station, said that the police worked on the case around the clock. On Monday, they identified and apprehended the suspects. 

"Investigators gathered information, reviewed surveillance footage, and spoke with potential witnesses. The criminal investigation will determine their motives and their relationship to the victim," Kütt said.

Preliminary reports suggest the man died from injuries sustained in a beating. His body was discovered at his home around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. The suspects, aged 16 and 15, were arrested in the city of Pärnu on Monday evening. Both have had previous encounters with the police for minor offenses, and one had been subject to a criminal investigation last year for violence.

Western District Prosecutor Toomas Koitmäe stated that the suspects have been detained and their possible custody will be decided soon. 

"Investigative authorities are actively working to uncover what led to this event, what specifically happened at the scene, and the cause of the victim's death. The preliminary investigation suggests a personal conflict escalation, with no current threat to public safety. This is an extreme case where, according to initial suspicions, a violent act by the two teenagers resulted in the victim's death," Koitmäe said.

The district prosecutor added that the number of offenses committed by minors in Pärnu County has decreased by about a third over the past year.

"This makes the incident from the past weekend stand out sharply from the usual work of the police and prosecution," Koitmäe observed.

The criminal investigation is being conducted by the West Prefecture and led by the Western District Prosecutor's Office.