Europe

Danish inventor admits he dismembered journalist

Amateur submariner changes story but continues to deny killing woman

Danish inventor Peter Madsen and the ‘Nautilus’: he has admitted dismembering Swedish journalist Kim Wall, who disappeared from his submarine, but says he did not kill her. File photograph: Niels Hougaard/Ritzau/AP
Danish inventor Peter Madsen and the ‘Nautilus’: he has admitted dismembering Swedish journalist Kim Wall, who disappeared from his submarine, but says he did not kill her. File photograph: Niels Hougaard/Ritzau/AP
Mon Oct 30 2017 - 18:28

A Danish inventor has admitted dismembering a Swedish journalist who disappeared from his home-made submarine and has changed his story about how she died, but still denies killing her, police have said. According to Copenhagen police, self-taught engineer Peter Madsen now says Kim Wall died as result of carbon monoxide poisoning inside the submarine while he was on deck. He had previously said she died after being accidentally hit by a heavy hatch in the submarine's conning tower.

"This explanation [by Madsen] naturally will lead the police into gathering additional statements from the coroner and the armed forces' submarine experts," said Copenhagen police investigator Jens Moller Jensen.

Police said Madsen acknowledged he dismembered her body and threw it into Koge Bay, southwest of Copenhagen. Ms Wall’s torso was found on a southern Copenhagen coast in late August, and her head, legs and clothes were found at sea this month. No fractures to her skull were found that would have supported the claim that she was killed when struck by a hatch.

Swedish journalist Kim Wall: No fractures to her skull were found that would have supported Peter Madsen’s claim that she was killed when struck by a hatch on his submarine. File photograph: Tom Wall/AFP/Getty
Swedish journalist Kim Wall: No fractures to her skull were found that would have supported Peter Madsen’s claim that she was killed when struck by a hatch on his submarine. File photograph: Tom Wall/AFP/Getty

She was working on a story about Madsen and was last seen aboard his home-made submarine Nautilus as it left Copenhagen last August. The next day, he was rescued from the sinking submarine without her. Police believe he deliberately sank the vessel.

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Pre-trial detention

Madsen’s pre-trial detention is set to expire on Tuesday but police said no new hearing will be held as the 46-year-old has voluntarily agreed to remain in detention. He is currently charged with murder and mutilating Ms Wall’s body.

Police said on Monday that the charges have been extended to include sexual assault without intercourse. An examination of the torso revealed wounds to Ms Wall’s genitals and rib cage that were believed to have been caused during her death or shortly after.

"We're taking an approach that there exists a sexual motive," Mr Jensen told Swedish broadcaster SVT. Police have finished an unsuccessful search for the phones of Madsen and Ms Wall in the past weeks but said they could reactivate that search if needed.

– (AP)