Abby Connolly
In September of 1994, a disaster occurred when the cruise ferry ship named the MS Estonia tragically sank in the Baltic Sea, and over 800 passengers died.
It is one of the more well-known ship disaster stories. But did you know that the exact same boat with a different name was the scene of two murders years earlier?
Before it was the Estonia, the ship had begun service in Finland. It was first purchased in 1980 and built larger than most shipping vessels being used at the time to accommodate for more vehicles and up to 2,000 passengers. Its owners slapped on a coat of red and white paint before naming it the Viking Sally.
Life on the Viking Sally was pretty luxurious as the ship would make its daily trips between Stockholm and Turku.
Guests could enjoy massive buffets, have drinks at the bar, get free merchandise, etc. The ship ran successfully for 6 years until its reputation took a drastic turn for the worst after some heinous incidents occurred.
On July 10th, 1986, Reijo Hammar, a man that was eventually dubbed the most dangerous criminal in Finland, boarded the Viking Sally with a female accomplice.
The couple met a Finnish businessman named Antti Eljaala at one of the bars on the ship and accompanied him back to his cabin.
That was where they robbed him, stabbed him multiple times with a dinner knife, and strangled him to death with a bed sheet.
After being found guilty of Eljaala’s murder, Hammar was sentenced to life in prison. He did, however, escape two years later, only to commit multiple crimes for weeks before being recaptured in Stockholm.
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