Hundreds gather to mourn paramedic Mantas Sadauskas in funeral marked by grief and anger

A 31-year-old paramedic whose brutal killing has shocked Lithuania was laid to rest on Saturday in Raguvėlė cemetery, Anykščiai district, as hundreds of mourners—including fellow medics, bikers, and strangers—lined the streets to pay their final respects, reports LRT.lt.

Mantas Sadauskas, a father of two young children, was remembered as a dedicated professional and passionate motorcyclist. His funeral procession, which departed at 1 pm from Panevėžys, was met by crowds along the route, some stopping their cars to stand in silence. Photographer Orestas Gurevičius described the scene to ELTA: “Hundreds of people, hundreds of cars pull over to say goodbye—like they do in Ukraine for fallen soldiers. The whole city mourns.”

Colleagues from Panevėžys, Kaunas, and other regions joined the procession, alongside bikers honoring Sadauskas’s love for motorcycles. Around 100 medics had already gathered the previous day at the Panevėžys funeral home Ramybės Takas to bid farewell. “So many people are coming—medics keep arriving,” Gurevičius noted earlier.

Family demands justice, calls killing “long-planned”

At the funeral home, Sadauskas’s grandmother, fighting back tears, called him “a very good man… gentle, a wonderful grandson.” A female relative, who declined to be named, told reporters the crime was “not spontaneous” and criticized authorities for failing to intervene despite years of alleged threats.

“This has been going on for a long time. Where is our law enforcement looking? Do they not see?” she said, claiming the suspect—identified only as Justina Sadauskienė—had exhibited disturbing behavior for years, including nighttime visits to neighbors’ farms. “A normal person doesn’t do that… She’s vengeful. Everyone suffered because of her. She was untouchable because someone protected her.”

Addressing the suspect directly, the relative shouted: “Rot in hell, Justina! And in prison first. We won’t let this go!”

Colleagues remember a “hardworking” and “kind” professional

Mourners described Sadauskas as a tireless worker and sports enthusiast. His supervisor, Rūta Ramoškienė of Panevėžys’s Emergency Medical Services, attended the funeral but declined to comment to media. She had previously spoken publicly about the tragedy.

Sadauskas’s body was discovered Tuesday buried on a property in Panevėžys district, allegedly wrapped in a trampoline—part of his family’s rental business. Investigators found a weapon at the scene. His father told reporters Sadauskas had left Monday morning to deliver a trampoline for a children’s party; his disappearance was noted when the customer’s details were deleted from records.