‘The Traitors’ Contestant Murdered, Show Delayed: Details on Jaane Puhakka’s Death

The Season 2 finale of The Traitors Finland has been postponed indefinitely following the murder of contestant Janne Puhakka. The 29-year-old, who was the first openly gay player in Finland’s top professional hockey league, was found dead from a gunshot wound at a residence in Espoo on the night of Sunday, Oct. 13, police confirmed, according to multiple Finnish media reports.

Puhakka’s partner, Norwegian veterinarian Rolf Nordmo, 66, has been arrested in connection to the crime after he confessed to killing Puhakka with a shotgun after they broke up several weeks ago. Detective Inspector Matti Högman, who is leading the police investigation, told Finnish paper YLE that while returning to their residence, which he had moved out of following their split, for “organizing practical matters,” Puhakka was fatally shot with a hunting shotgun fired by Nordmo. Högman told Ilta-Sanomat that the crime was “a particularly brutal and cruel manner of action.” Puhakka’s death is being treated as a homicide, and Nordmo remains in police custody.

Puhakka’s tragic passing came amid his appearance on the second season of Finnish version of The Traitors, the popular reality series in which contestants play the ultimate murder mystery game in hopes of winning the grand prize. Puhakka was a finalist on the show alongside Green MP Fatim Diarra. The final episode, set to air this week of his passing, was filmed earlier this year. However, Finnish network Nelonen issued a statement confirming the episode has been postponed indefinitely.

“The final episode of the season of Petolliset was scheduled to be shown on Thursday of this week,” the statement read. “We have come to the conclusion that right now is not the right time to air an episode. We will return to the question of the possible presentation of the episode later. We share in the grief of Janne’s loved ones.”

Outside of his appearance on The Traitors, Puhakka is known for his hockey career. A former player for Espoo Blues and Espoo United, per The Athletic, he made headlines in 2019 when he came out publicly as gay, making him Finland’s first openly gay male pro hockey player. He later released a memoir, Ulos Kopista (Out of the Locker (Room)), in 2022.

Paying tribute to him, SM-liiga, Finland’s top pro men’s league, said in a statement saying, “Janne Puhakka was an important role model, and his courage and openness left an indelible mark on Finnish hockey… The league offers its deepest condolences to Puhaka’s family and loved ones.”

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org or by texting “START” to 88788.