Viru County Court sentenced Inge Pullat to 16 years in prison, along with her accomplice in the crime, Aivo Vološin, who was sentenced to seven years. The duo had also moved the body of the victim long distances across Estonia, in an effort to conceal their crime, which was only discovered when Pullat's son Andres informed authorities of the body's location.

Speaking about the case, Viru District Prosecutor Liina Pikma called it: "Rare to see story like this, in terms of motive."

"As stated in the charge sheet, the killing was committed on the basis of self-interest, which in my experience is a first. Motives like that for such a crime might usually only be seen in American documentaries or Hollywood films," Pikma went on, speaking to ETV news show "Aktuaalne kaamera".

The pair concealed the body of the victim, as per standard court practice in Estonia given only by her first name, Maie, and search parties only found it with Andres Pullat's aid, after he agreed to show them where they had dumped the corpse.

"This was such a specific and remote hiding place, that we wouldn't have been able to have found it using our own resources," Pikma said.

The investigation into the crime ascertained that Maie was murdered in Ida-Viru County, with the body then being taken to Pärnu County, at the opposite end of the country and around 200km away, where it was placed in a culvert.

However, not content with leaving it there, Pullat and Vološin then decided to take it to a location in Viljandi County, where it was thrown down a deep well.

As noted, it was only discovered after the co-conspirator's son agreed to take the authorities to the location.

Andres Pullat was also convicted of aiding and abetting in the concealment of a corpse, and was fined.

The charge sheet stated that in the autumn of 2021, Inge Pullat and Aivo Vološin murdered Maie, a resident of Jõuga, Alutaguse Rural Municipality, Ida-Viru County, and then desecrated the corpse.

The pair desired to obtain a farm which owned by the victim; ownership of which Inge Pullat had already unsuccessfully contested in an inheritance dispute.

Lawyers for both Pullat and Vološin say they will appeal the decision, which they have 15 days from Thursday's ruling to do so and would need to be filed at the second-tier circuit court.

If no appeal were filed, the Viru County Court ruling would enter into force after the 15 days were up.

The media were granted access to the hearing (see gallery - Vološin is the balding man in the dock, Pullat, the rather corpulent woman dressed in red clothing. Pictures of the property at the center of the initial dispute are also included).

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