The murder of Kim Wall, known in Denmark as (), took place on 10 August 2017, after Swedish

freelance ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

journalist Kim Wall boarded the

midget submarine A midget submarine is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to six or nine, with little or no on-board living accommodation. They normally work with mother ships, from which they are launched an ...

UC3 Nautilus ''UC3 Nautilus'' was a privately built Danish midget submarine. It was built over a three-year period by Peter Madsen and a group of volunteers, and cost approximately US$200,000 to build (1.5 million DKK). The submarine was Madsen's third subm ...

'', in

Køge Bay Køge Bay () is an approximately shallow Danish bay in the southern part of Øresund, between the Greater Copenhagen area in the North (or more precisely the southernmost peak of Amager) and Stevns Klint in the South, and as a part of Zealand ...

, Denmark, for a pre-arranged interview of its owner, Danish entrepreneur

Peter Madsen Peter Langkjær Madsen (; born 12 January 1971) is a Danish convicted murderer and former entrepreneur. In April 2018, he was convicted of the August 2017 murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall on board his submarine, '' UC3 Nautilus'', and se ...

. Kim Isabel Fredrika Wall was reported missing after ''Nautilus'' failed to return to the harbour at Refshaleøen,

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

. The submarine was found sunken the following morning and Madsen was arrested upon being rescued from the water. Between 21 August and 29 November, parts of Wall's

dismembered Dismemberment is the act of completely disconnecting and/or removing the limbs, skin, and/or organs from a living or dead being. It has been practiced upon human beings as a form of capital punishment, especially in connection with regicid ...

body were found in different locations around the area. Convicted of her murder, Madsen was sentenced to

life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence (law), sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life impr ...

on 25 April 2018 by Copenhagen City Court following a widely publicised trial. On 20 October 2020, Madsen briefly escaped from prison by threatening a prison employee but was surrounded and apprehended by police from the prison and taken into custody again. In 2020 a television dramatisation of the case was created by

Tobias Lindholm Tobias Lindholm (born 5 July 1977) is a Danish screenwriter and film director. His 2015 directed film '' A War'' was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In addition to ''A War'', he has directed the films '' R'' (2010), ...

Events

Disappearance and discovery of remains

On Thursday 10 August 2017, Wall and her partner Ole Stobbe were preparing to host a farewell party in Refshaleøen prior to their planned move to

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

on 16 August. Before the party, Wall received a text from Danish entrepreneur

—with whom she had requested an interview earlier in the year—inviting her to interview him on board his midget submarine ''

''. She agreed to join him on the submarine for two hours and boarded ''Nautilus'' around 19:00 local time (

UTC+2 UTC+02:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +02:00. In ISO 8601, the associated time would be written as 2020-11-08T23:41:45+02:00. As standard time (year-round) Principal cities: Pretoria, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Por ...

). The submarine never returned to the harbour and Stobbe called the police at 01:43 that night to report Wall missing. ''Nautilus'' was sighted in

southeast of

Amager Amager ( ), located in the Øresund, is Denmark's most densely populated island, with more than 216,000 inhabitants (January 2022). The protected natural area of ''Naturpark Amager'' (including Kalvebod Fælled) makes up more than one-third of the ...

Drogden Drogden is a channel through Øresund. The trench is located on the Danish side of the Øresund, between Saltholm and Amager. The road and railway connection between Denmark and Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nord ...

lighthouse at 10:30 the next morning; it foundered at 11:00. On 21 August, a cyclist found Wall's

torso The torso or trunk is an anatomical terminology, anatomical term for the central part, or the core (anatomy), core, of the body (biology), body of many animals (including human beings), from which the head, neck, limb (anatomy), limbs, tail an ...

washed up on a beach in the southwest of

. A post-mortem examination found fifteen stab wounds, mostly in the groin. Metal had been affixed to her torso in an attempt to ensure it did not float. On 6 October, assisted by

cadaver dogs A search-and-rescue (SAR) dog is a dog trained to respond to crime scenes, accidents, missing persons events, as well as natural or man-made disasters. These dogs detect human scent, which is a distinct odor of skin flakes and water and oil secr ...

provided by the

Swedish police The Swedish Police Authority () is the national police, police force (''Polisen'') of Sweden. The first modern police force in Sweden was established in the mid-19th century, and the police remained in effect under Municipalities of Sweden, local ...

, police divers found two plastic bags in

containing Wall's head, legs, clothes and a knife; six days later, a saw was found in the water. On 21 and 29 November, police divers found Wall's arms in the bay. Police probed possible links to other murder cases in

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

, including the unsolved death of 22-year-old Kazuko Toyonaga in 1986 in Copenhagen, but did not find connections to any of them.

Legal proceedings

Madsen was arrested upon being rescued from Køge Bay after ''Nautilus'' foundered on 11 August and was charged with

negligent manslaughter Negligent homicide is a criminal charge brought against a person who, through criminal negligence, allows another person to die. Other times, an intentional killing may be negotiated down to this lesser charge as a compromised resolution of a mur ...

. Police suspected that he had

scuttled Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull, typically by its crew opening holes in its hull. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vesse ...

the submarine. Madsen initially stated that he had dropped Wall off on land, but then admitted to dumping her body at sea after she died in what he claimed was an accident on board ''Nautilus''. He testified in a court hearing on 5 September that Wall died after being struck on the head by the submarine's hatch cover. The

prosecution A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in Civil law (legal system), civil law. The prosecution is the ...

said that police had found videos on Madsen's computer showing women being

murdered Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. ("The killing of another person without justification or excu ...

, and that witnesses said that Madsen watched videos of decapitation and practiced asphyxiation sex. Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen said that, while forensic investigations had not found any traces of Madsen's

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

on Wall's body, traces of

semen Semen, also known as seminal fluid, is a bodily fluid that contains spermatozoon, spermatozoa which is secreted by the male gonads (sexual glands) and other sexual organs of male or hermaphrodite, hermaphroditic animals. In humans and placen ...

had been identified on underclothing secured from him after arrest. Madsen asserted that he had not ejaculated in Wall's presence. A post-mortem examination performed on Wall's head after it was found a month later found no signs of

blunt force trauma A blunt trauma, also known as a blunt force trauma or non-penetrating trauma, is a physical trauma due to a forceful impact without penetration of the body's surface. Blunt trauma stands in contrast with penetrating trauma, which occurs when an ...

and did not determine the

cause of death In law, medicine, and statistics, cause of death is an official determination of the conditions resulting in a human's death, which may be recorded on a death certificate. A cause of death is determined by a medical examiner. In rare cases, an ...

. Madsen subsequently changed his story, admitting to dismembering Wall's body but continuing to deny intentionally killing her, saying that she may have died after poisonous

exhaust gas Exhaust gas or flue gas is emitted as a result of the combustion of fuels such as natural gas, gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, fuel oil, biodiesel blends, or coal. According to the type of engine, it is discharged into the atmosphere through ...

es entered the submarine while he was on deck. The post-mortem performed on Wall's torso showed no signs of exhaust gases in her lungs. On 16 January 2018, Madsen was charged with murder, indecent handling of a corpse, and

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...

. The prosecution accused him of having

torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons including corporal punishment, punishment, forced confession, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimid ...

d Wall before killing her by cutting her throat or strangling her. Madsen's trial began on 8 March at

Copenhagen Court House The Copenhagen Court House () is a historic building located on Nytorv in Copenhagen, Denmark. Originally built as a combined city hall and courthouse, it now serves as the seat of the District Court of Copenhagen. Inaugurated in 1815, it was bu ...

. On 25 April, he was convicted of all three charges and sentenced to

. Madsen

appeal In law, an appeal is the process in which Legal case, cases are reviewed by a higher authority, where parties request a formal change to an official decision. Appeals function both as a process for error correction as well as a process of cla ...

ed his sentence. On 26 September

Østre Landsret The Østre Landsret (Eastern High Court), established in 1919, is one of Denmark's two High Courts, along with the Vestre Landsret (Western High Court). Both High Courts function as a civil and criminal appellate court for cases from the subordina ...

, High Court of Eastern Denmark, upheld the sentence.

Aftermath

In August 2018, Madsen was admitted to hospital after being attacked in prison by an 18-year-old inmate. In a Danish documentary in September 2020, Madsen admitted that he had killed Kim Wall.

2020 prison escape attempt

On October 20, 2020, Madsen briefly escaped from prison by threatening a prison employee, said to have been a

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...

, using a "pistol-like object", before fleeing equipped with an object he claimed was a

bomb belt An explosive belt (also called suicide belt, suicide vest or bomb vest) is an improvised explosive device, a belt or a vest packed with explosives and armed with a detonator, worn by suicide bombers. Explosive belts are usually packed with ball ...

. The bomb squad was deployed, and Madsen was surrounded and apprehended by police from the prison and taken back into custody.

Legacy

Wall's family and friends founded the Kim Wall Memorial Fund, to fund female reporters to cover stories of cultural value. A memorial run took place on 10 August 2018, the first anniversary of her murder, in which people around the world ran or walked a distance in her memory. In October 2017, Wall was posthumously nominated for

Prix Europa PRIX EUROPA – The European Broadcasting Festival – is Europe's largest annual tri-medial festival and competition. The event takes place in the third week of October in Berlin, Germany. PRIX EUROPA awards the best European Televisi ...

's Outstanding Achievement Award "Journalist of the Year". On 9 November 2018, Wall's parents published a book in her memory titled ''Boken om Kim Wall: När orden tar slut'' (). The book appeared in English in 2020 under the title ''A Silenced Voice'', translated by Kathy Saranpa. Also in 2018, Wall's boyfriend Ole Stobbe related his experiences with the media coverage about the case in Danish newspaper ''

Weekendavisen ''Weekendavisen'' (meaning ''The Weekend Newspaper'' in English) is a Danish weekly broadsheet newspaper published on Fridays in Denmark. Its circulation (as of 2007) is approximately 60,000 copies, about ten per cent of which cover subscription ...

''.

TV portrayals

''Efterforskningen'' (English: ''

The Investigation ''The Investigation'' (original title ''Śledztwo'') is a science fiction/detective/ thriller novel by the Polish writer Stanisław Lem. The novel incorporates a philosophical discourse on explanation of unknown phenomena. It was first publis ...

'') is a Danish-language television dramatisation created by

, which follows the criminal investigation of the case. The six-part series premiered on 28 September 2020 on TV2 and SVT. It features

Søren Malling Søren Dyrberg Malling (; born 3 February 1964) is a Danish actor. Career Raised in Kjellerup, Malling trained at Skuespillerskolen at Odense Teater in 1992. He is best known for his role as Inspector Jan Meyer in the Danish TV crime thriller ...

as chief inspector Jens Møller,

Pilou Asbæk Johan Philip "Pilou" Asbæk (; born 2 March 1982) is a Danish actor, best known for his role as troubled spin doctor Kasper Juul in the Danish television political drama '' Borgen'', and as Euron Greyjoy in the television series ''Game of Thron ...

as special prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen,

Rolf Lassgård Rolf Holger Lassgård (born 29 March 1955) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his many roles in crime dramas. Life and career Lassgård was born in Östersund, Jämtland. A keen amateur ice hockey player in his youth, he also joined theatre tea ...

and

Pernilla August Pernilla August (; born 13 February 1958), also known as Pernilla Östergren Pernilla Wallgren, and Pernilla Wallgren-Östergren, is a Swedish actress, director and screenwriter. She was a longtime collaborator with director Ingmar Bergman and ...

as Wall's parents, and

Laura Christensen Laura Elisabeth Christensen (born 26 January 1984) is a Danish actress. Biography Laura Christensen made her debut as a child actor in the film '' Min fynske barndom'' and had her first major role in '' Tøsepiger''. She is perhaps best know ...

as investigator Maibritt Porse. ''

'' does not feature Madsen or the crime itself, but focuses on the investigative work leading to his indictment and conviction. It has been compared to the 2020 BBC series ''

The Salisbury Poisonings ''The Salisbury Poisonings'' is a fact-based drama television series, starring Anne-Marie Duff, Rafe Spall and Annabel Scholey which portrays the 2018 Novichok poisonings and decontamination crisis in Salisbury, England, and the subsequent Am ...

''. The series was broadcast on UK's

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

between 22 January and 5 February 2021, remaining available on

iPlayer BBC iPlayer (stylised as iPLAYER or BBC iPLAYER) is a video on demand service from the BBC. The service is available Over-the-top media service, over-the-top on a wide range of devices, including Mobile phone, mobile phones and Tablet computer ...

for a year.

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

began showing it on 1 February 2021. In March 2022, the TV mini-series ''Undercurrent: The Disappearance of Kim Wall'' was released. Directed by

Erin Lee Carr Erin Lee Carr (born April 15, 1988) is an American documentary film director and producer. She is also an author for publications including ''VICE'' and her memoir called ''All That You Leave Behind: A Memoir'', a story about love, addiction, an ...

, the documentary covers the crime and trial in two parts. In September 2022, the Netflix film '' Into The Deep: The Submarine Murder Case'' was released. Directed by Emma Sullivan, the film uses footage of Madsen, his friends and interns, that had been filmed to document his quest to launch a rocket into space using his submarine as a command centre.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wall, Kim, Murder of 2010s missing person cases 2017 murders in Denmark August 2017 in Europe Deaths by person in Denmark Female murder victims Formerly missing Swedish people Missing person cases in Denmark Peter Madsen Violence against women in Denmark