Danish submarine inventor accused od 5illine journalist
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Journalist Kim Wall had reported on conflicts, crises and natural disasters around the world. Earlier this month, she set out to sea from Copenhagen for a story about an eccentric Danish inventor and his homemade submarine.
She never returned. On Wednesday, police confirmed that Wall’s headless torso had been found on a beach near the Danish capital. The inventor, Peter Madsen, has been arrested on suspicion of killing her.
Wall was last seen Aug. 10 on Madsen’s submarine, named UC3 Nautilus. The freelance journalist’s family says she was working on a story about Madsen, a celebrity entrepreneur and engineer who dreamed of launching a manned space mission.
Early the next day, Wall’s boyfriend reported her missing. Madsen was rescued from his sinking vessel south of Copenhagen hours later. Wall was nowhere to be found.
Madsen, who remains in police custody on suspicion of manslaughter, initially told police he had let Wall off on an island several hours into the trip. Later, he said she had died accidentally and he had “buried” her at sea.
On Monday, a cyclist discovered a torso on a beach on Copenhagen’s southern Amager island. Copenhagen police said Tuesday that the body’s head, arms and legs had “deliberately been cut off.”
Copenhagen police investigator Jens Moeller Jensen told reporters Wednesday that DNA tests had confirmed the torso was Wall’s.
Dried blood found inside the submarine was also a match to DNA obtained from Wall’s toothbrush and hairbrush, he said.
The cause of the journalist’s death is not yet known, police said. They are still looking for the rest of her body.
Madsen’s defense lawyer said the discovery of Wall’s torso doesn’t mean he’s guilty of killing her.
“It doesn’t change my client’s explanation that an accident happened,” Betina Hald Engmark told Danish tabloid BT.
Police say they believe Madsen deliberately scuttled the submarine.