In the 1980s, the MS Viking Sally ferry became synonymous with tragedy and terror on the Baltic Sea. What began as a luxurious passenger vessel soon earned a sinister reputation when two brutal murders occurred on board just one year apart—in 1986 and 1987. The ship that was meant to provide safe passage between Finland and Sweden instead became the scene of unspeakable violence, earning it the nickname "the cursed ship." But the Viking Sally's dark legacy didn't end there. 



The vessel would later be renamed the MS Estonia and become the site of one of Europe's worst maritime disasters, claiming 855 lives in 1994. In this episode, we explore the chilling murders that haunted the Baltic waters, the botched investigations that followed, and the tragic fate of a ship that seemed destined for disaster from the very beginning.



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Resources

Web

1987 Viking Sally murder - Wikipedia

Articles

Murder on the Upper Deck - ForenSeek

Finnish News Coverage - Aamulehti

Court dismisses charges in Viking Sally murder case - Yle

Finland: Dane acquitted of 1987 ferry attack on backpackers - AP News

Danish man on trial in Finland for 1987 ferry attack - Reuters

The Curse of the Viking Sally - Atlas Obscura

Cursed Ship. The Sinking of the 'Estonia' - Medium



Created & Produced by Sonya Lowe

Narrated by Noel Vinson

Music: "Nordic Medieval" by Marcus Bressler

Background track: Doblado Studios: https://www.youtube.com/c/DobladoStudios



This True Crime Podcast was researched using open-source or archive materials.