back to article Submarine builder admits dismembering journalist's body

The man charged with the murder of a Swedish journalist in his private submarine has admitted dismembering her body and dumping the parts into the sea – but insists he did not kill her. Danish police said in a statement that Peter Madsen admitted dumping journalist Kim Wall's severed head and limbs overboard from his submarine …

  1. Hollerithevo

    Then it will be...

    ...that a passing shark dismembered the corpse, no, wait, she fell into some machinery that sliced her up, no, wait, she decided to commit suicide by submarine ladder.

    1. batfink

      Re: Then it will be...

      Don't be silly. It would be obvious that a shark had dismembered the corpse. You'd be able to tell by the clean cuts from the laser.

  2. Dave 126 Silver badge

    Other news outlets have also reported that videos of decapitations were found on his computer

    1. Bronek Kozicki

      any links to the news source?

      1. JoshOvki

        "Kim Wall: Decapitation videos 'found on suspect's hard drive'"

        http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41493402

      2. Dave 126 Silver badge

        https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/10/danish-police-find-snuff-images-on-computer-tied-to-submarine-murder-suspect/

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "any links to the news source?"

        http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41804590

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      On his computer, but he denies it's his hard drive!

  3. Alister

    I know he's supposed to be innocent unless proven guilty, and all that, but his credibility is rapidly diminishing every time he changes his story.

    1. chivo243 Silver badge

      @Alister

      yes, his credibility is non-existent at this time. From the beginning, his story didn't sit well with me. Maybe if they turn the thumbscrews another notch, he'll come clean?

      My spidey sense tells me he came onto her, she wasn't into it, bad things happened.

    2. dan1980

      @Alister

      Yes, he is to be presumed innocent unless and until found guilty but he is no longer to be presumed to be trust-worthy and that means that the defence he provides is of low value.

  4. This post has been deleted by its author

  5. hatti

    If this were an accident it would have been reported at the time and not come to light via a series of bizarre and unfeasible stories. IMHO Madsen is a revolting and monstrous liar. I feel so sorry for the Wall family having to deal with this, simply shocking.

    1. a_yank_lurker

      @hatti, If this were an accidental death or negligent homicide there would be no reason to dismember the body. Carbon monoxide poisoning, blunt force trauma to the top of the head (hatch scenario), or even drowning leave specific forensic clues that could validate a story. Also, most homicide detectives get very suspicious when the story makes no sense with the known facts and even more so when the suspect keeps changing his story. A person telling the truth does not change the story in any significant detail over a few weeks. Dismembering a body is almost always done to hide a murder.

  6. Bloodbeastterror

    "Very Bad Things"

    I watched this movie, a Christian Slater psycho showcase, just the other day, and this submarine story reminds me of it a lot. Accidental killing of a woman during a stag party in a Vegas hotel, Slater pushes his mates to cover it up, kills hotel security guy, dismembers both and buries them in the desert. And downhill from then on, which I reckon is the way this will go.

    For an inventor he's piss-poor at inventing a believable story...

    1. Dave 126 Silver badge

      Re: "Very Bad Things"

      The above 'this post was deleted was its author' was me, as it was more or less of a duplicate. My phone typing technique means that I sometimes I hit Submit by mistake.

    2. Voland's right hand Silver badge

      Re: "Very Bad Things"

      For an inventor

      Stop calling him an inventor. There is fuck all new in his submarine. There is absolutely no inventions as defined in IPR law in it.

      He simply scaled down some WW2 era blueprints as used by recreational sub builders and failed to build them twice, barely succeeding to produce something half workable on the third attempt.

  7. EveryTime

    What's next?

    I can't figure out what admission could possibly follow this one. It's starting to read like a Monty Python sketch.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Up

      Re: What's next?

      A new file system for Linux, surely.

      1. Throatwarbler Mangrove Silver badge
        Coat

        Re: What's next?

        I find this comment Reiserble.

        1. Stevie
          Pint

          Re: What's next?

          Ebeer for you, Throatwarbler Mangrove.

          1. Dave 126 Silver badge

            Re: What's next?

            It's not those sketches, it's the sketch where a man waiting for his host sees a bookshelf fall over, then a tea cup flies off a table if its own accord, then a maid enters and asks him to hold a knife whilst she tidies up the mess - before she falls into the blade in his hand. The man flees, only to see the house collapse behind him.

            1. Stevie

              Re:It's not those sketches, it's the sketch where ...

              In my head as I read:

              "I understand you had your head nailed to the floor"

              "Nahnahnahnahnah! Ole Dinsey wouldn't do that. 'E used to take flowers to 'is muvver did ole Dinsey."

              "But the police have film of him nailing your head to the floor."

              "Oh well, yeah, 'e did that, yeah. But ... etc."

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What's next?

      "I can't figure out what admission could possibly follow this one. It's starting to read like a Monty Python sketch."

      You have it wrong. The upper class twits had to get the bra off the deb before shooting themselves.

      Though in this case that would perhaps have been a more satisfactory outcome. Despite the flippancy of this post I feel extremely sorry for the woman and those close to her. It's a reminder that proper journalists - I mean ones who investigate - do risk death and some of them die every year.

    3. Stevie

      Re: It's starting to read like a Monty Python sketch.

      Yup, I was thinking the exact same thing. I'm guessing you agree with me that it's only a matter of time before Spiny Norman puts in an appearance.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Spiny Norman

        Dinsdale! DINSDALE!! D-I-N-S-D-A-L-E!!

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Bollocks!

    I would expand on that assumption but I really don't think I have to because my default reaction to someone dying on my vessel would be decapitation.

  9. Stevie

    Bah!

    I'm shocked at this completely unpredictable out-of-left-field development.

    Never saw that coming.

  10. ma1010
    Paris Hilton

    Wow

    This guy has more stories than the Arabian Nights.

    Paris, because she's the only one who might believe anything this clown says.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    IT Angle

    Certainly horrifying, and I hope the Danish cops throw the book at this guy.

    But isn't this a little lurid and off-topic for El Reg?

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. Adam 52 Silver badge

      Re: Certainly horrifying, and I hope the Danish cops throw the book at this guy.

      Lurid, off topic and inaccurate seems to be what El Reg does these days. This article seems to have been copied from the BBC, so might be accurate.

    3. Jon 37

      Re: Certainly horrifying, and I hope the Danish cops throw the book at this guy.

      The Reg first covered the sub's sinking when Kim Wall was just missing. I believe "DIY submarine sinks in mysterious circumstances" qualified as enough of a tech angle for the Bootnotes section. I'm sure that The Reg would consider this story to be a followup on that, but I'm not sure it qualifies any more. It's been clear for a while that he deliberately sank the submarine (and Madsen has admitted that), so the tech angle is finished. The lurid details of what happened on ship before that aren't really on topic for The Register and are being well-covered by other news sources.

      However, the story is clearly getting clicks and comments, so maybe that's enough for the new Register overlords.

    4. phuzz Silver badge

      Re: Certainly horrifying, and I hope the Danish cops throw the book at this guy.

      Madsen was one of the founder members of Coopenhaagen Suborbitals, before eventually being voted out a few years back.

  12. Cynic_999

    Not very clever

    He dumped her corpse inside the harbour? Had he gone just 5 miles offshore and dumped the weighted body during an outgoing tide the chances of it ever being found would have been zero to slim. He then compounded his lack of forethought by failing to figure out the totality of evidence that was bound to be found and devising a credible story that would account for it. Murder at sea when there was only the perp and the victim on board is probably the easiest of serious crimes to cover up.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Not very clever

      Well let's hope that dumb criminals stay the norm, if for no other reason than criminals such at this one are removed from circulation and there is some degree of closure...

    2. SkippyBing

      Re: Not very clever

      'Murder at sea when there was only the perp and the victim on board is probably the easiest of serious crimes to cover up.'

      Remind me not to take a sea voyage with you...

      1. ma1010
        Devil

        Re: Not very clever

        Remind me not to take a sea voyage with you...

        Seconded! I'd just as soon go on a boat ride with Tony Soprano.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Not very clever

          Is that the guy on "The Godfather"?

          1. GrumpyKiwi

            Re: Not very clever

            [QUOTE]Is that the guy on "The Godfather"?[/QUOTE]

            Nah, he played Gandulf in the last Star Trek film.

      2. Cynic_999

        Re: Not very clever

        "

        Remind me not to take a sea voyage with you...

        "

        You'd be a fool to take an ocean voyage on a small boat with *anyone* you didn't know very well.

    3. Awil Onmearse
      Facepalm

      Remind me not to hire you as a disposal expert.

      "Had he gone just 5 miles offshore and dumped the weighted body during an outgoing tide"

      Good luck finding an "outgoing" tide in Öresund. Tidal movement in that area and in the Baltic area is negligible.

      1. Lars Silver badge
        Happy

        Re: Remind me not to hire you as a disposal expert.

        "Good luck finding an "outgoing" tide in Öresund. Tidal movement in that area and in the Baltic area is negligible.".

        Yes, there is no tide in the Baltic, one reason is that the Baltic is very shallow, not much water and I suppose there could be other "earth/moon" trajection reasons too (just guessing), anyway no tide tables.

        But if you have sailed there you would know there is a constant movement of water out from the Baltic towards the west. Just occasionally, and much too seldom, there is a surge of fresh (and much needed*) saltwater into the Baltic. The difference in the amount of salt in the water is actually quite surprising, drinking the Baltic sea water will not harm you due to the salt, there is just enough for any soup. Kid memories here.

        So in other words "no problem finding outgoing water in Öresund".

        PS. Swedes could tell you more about how to prepare fish in tins without more or less any salt. And the reason is just because there is not much salt around, not the taste I would claim (not to mention the smell).

        * I could be wrong but I think it's some 20 years since the last bigger one.

        1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

          Re: Remind me not to hire you as a disposal expert.

          drinking the Baltic sea

          Is still probably safer than drinking from the Med. And not for salt reasons either..

          Even with the amount of nuclear waste that the Russians have dumped in it over the years.

    4. Lars Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: Not very clever

      Yes indeed but that in my opinion might prove he did not intend to kill her or he would have been more clever. Something most likely went very very wrong, perhaps she said no. Then there is this question how we perform during severe stress. (supposing it was an accident).

      A few very sad stories I remember are a guy who run, with his car by accident, over two or was it three girls. The girls made a lot of noise (actually a good sign) but in his panic he killed the girls (his explanation), how the "law" reacted I don't know. Then there was this father who lost control of his car and ended up in a ditch with his family in great pain and noise inside, in his panic his runs onto the highway to get help but is run over and killed while his family is not severely hurt.

      As for lying lets hope it doesn't imply insanity always, or we have one in the house of our friends.

      I could assume his lawyer might try this "insanity" defence.

      But I agree, do we need this kind of news here. I would say no, but I suppose it's really all about the submarine. So dear ElReg until there is a murder mystery in a flying machine. (trains are so yesterday).

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Not very clever

      Don’t forget, this is Øresund, with all the Russian military ships going through. Of course everywhere is festooned with every kind of ship-detecting device there is available to NATO. Submarines will get special attention.

      The danish police had the exact route within days.

  13. Roger Ramjet

    Liar liar

    Pants on fire....

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Out at sea, no one can hear you scream

    There are numerous stories of people getting on board a boat with a psycho with consequences ranging from frightening to lethal. This is yet another example of why you don't go alone into a remote hostile area with a stranger.

  15. herman

    Wow, what a nice guy. A real gentleman.

    He really is almost as nice as this Japanese guy:

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-crime-bodies/japanese-man-arrested-after-parts-of-nine-bodies-found-in-apartment-media-idUSKBN1D008T?il=0

  16. ukgnome

    Jeez you guys

    There is an entirely innocent explanation for all of this......

    She banged didn't bang her head after not being dropped of at a restaurant. Just at the moment she thought she had banged her head there was a buildup of carbon monoxide. This rendered her unconscious and maybe dead. This chap did what we all would do. ALL OF US. And that is slightly dismember her whilst watching dismemberment videos. Scuppering the submarine and then forgetting this took place when asked and then slowly remembering what occurred due to terrible shock.

    1. rmason
      Joke

      Re: Jeez you guys

      I know, It happens to the best of us. People are just being aresholes.

      Perfectly normal situation.

  17. Snivelling Wretch
    Coat

    Can I propose a new category of "Das Boot Notes" for sub-aquatic stories?

  18. adam payne

    'He denies all charges. In September a court ordered him to undergo a psychological evaluation'

    Not quite sure how you can change your story so many times and then still deny the charges, unless of course you are going to claim diminished responsibility.

  19. sisk

    You know, for a guy smart enough to design and build a working sub killing a famous reporter while giving her a ride on it is a real dumb move. He couldn't possibly have thought he was going to get away with it.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I think he did think he would get away with it. That he actually believes he is such a fantastic, famous, brilliant, person that his fame and star quality world work the same way it did with O.J. Simpson.

      From what I hear, he was going nuts already a long time back, always using military words, wearing military clothing “because we are at war”. Friends tend to maybe not see what is happening, “yes, he is a bit eccentric, but....” because people around someone they like and respect, but happens to be a nutter, gets slowly recalibrated away from what is normal and what is not. Hearing some of the stories, it is obvious now that something was not right with that man.

      Same with all the abuse cases coming out - normality is being restored, then people realize that “ Heyy, that’s not ok that”.

  20. Allonymous Coward
    IT Angle

    I propose a new El Reg unit of measurement

    The "Madsen" (Md). This is a measurement of the degree of change for an entity (be that an alibi, a software system, whatever) when moving from one state to another.

    Examples:

    A story that gets reversed in a subsequent retelling to law enforcement: change of 1 Md.

    A minor update to a config file: change of 1 μMd.

    Deploying "enterprise" software: change of 0.5KMd

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