Peter Madsen
Madsen in November 2010
Born (1971-01-12) 12 January 1971
Denmark
StatusImprisoned at the Herstedvester Prison
Occupation
Conviction(s)Premeditated murder, sexual assault, and indecent handling of a corpse
Criminal chargeMurder, indecent handling of a corpse, sexual assault
PenaltyLife imprisonment

Peter Langkjær Madsen (Danish: [ˈpʰe̝ˀtɐ ˈlɑŋˌkʰeˀɐ̯ ˈmæsn̩]; born 12 January 1971)[1] 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 sentenced to life imprisonment.[2]

Biography

Madsen was born in 1971 to Annie and Carl Madsen. He spent his early life in Sæby and Høng (both in Kalundborg Municipality), Denmark.[3] Annie was more than 30 years younger than Carl and had three other boys from two previous men. Carl was allegedly abusive toward his three stepsons. Annie left when Peter was six, taking the children with her.[4][5] After a couple of years, Madsen returned to his father, with whom he shared an interest in rockets.

While attending primary and secondary school in Høng, Madsen developed an interest in rocket fuel with the help of chemistry and physics teacher Johannes Fischer. He developed his first large rocket at Høng and launched it on 3 March 1986.[6] It was one meter tall, modelled after the American ICBM MX Peacekeeper and built in his father's workshop. It reached a height of 100 m (330 ft) before crashing without harming anyone.[7] In 1987, Madsen was accepted at the gymnasium (upper secondary school) in the nearby town of Kalundborg.[7] He moved to live in a youth house in the town. His father died in 1990 when Peter was 18.[8][9]

Madsen continued to experiment and to consult engineers, and became friendly with the family responsible for the fireworks in Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens. He also joined the Dansk Amatør Raket Klub (DARK) rocket club in Copenhagen,[10] but the other members gradually became disillusioned with him. DARK members claimed that "saying his name would start the fire sprinkler system".[11] He never finished any formal education, but took courses in welding and engineering to learn something about submarines.[12][13] His enthusiasm brought impressive results, but also caused conflicts with others. Madsen funded his lifestyle through financial support from people, organizations, and enterprises which saw promise in him.[11]

Personal life

Madsen was married at Copenhagen City Hall in November 2011. His wife had worked in the film industry and had also helped in Madsen's workshop at Refshaleøen, Copenhagen. In February 2018, it was reported that his wife had abandoned him after he was charged with murder. Madsen said that he had lived in an "open relationship". His wife has chosen to remain anonymous and her identity has not been released by the media. According to a report from Wired magazine, Madsen was a regular at fetish parties.[14][15]

On 19 December 2019, Madsen married 39-year old Russian-Mauritian opposition activist Jenny Curpen. Curpen has had political asylum in Finland since 2013, because of her persecution in Russia. In a post on Facebook, Curpen said that she received death threats after her marriage was made public. According to a Facebook entry of Jenny Curpen, they divorced on 7 January 2022.[16][17][18][19]

Projects

Madsen (right) with Kristian Von Bengtson
Madsen speaking at an engineers' conference, 2010

Submarines

Madsen built three submarines: UC1 Freya, UC2 Kraka and UC3 Nautilus. The Nautilus was a privately built midget submarine, launched on 3 May 2008 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Constructed over three years, it cost approximately US$200,000 to build (1.5 million DKK).[20]

Copenhagen Suborbitals

On 1 May 2008, Madsen co-founded Copenhagen Suborbitals with Danish Architect Kristian von Bengtson. In June 2014, he left the project.[21] Madsen was responsible for the launch system, launchpad and booster rocket engines.[22]

Rocket Madsen Space Lab

In June 2014, Madsen established RML Spacelab ApS. The goal was the development and construction of a crewed spacecraft. From 2016, RML was developing a nano satellite launch vehicle using venture investments. Under the title Raket-Madsens Rumlaboratorium (Danish for 'Rocket-Madsen's Space Laboratory') Madsen blogged about his activities on the website of the Danish news magazine Ingeniøren.[23]

Murder of Kim Wall and sinking of UC3 Nautilus

Murder

On 11 August 2017, Madsen was arrested after the sinking of UC3 Nautilus and the disappearance of Kim Wall, a Swedish journalist who had last been seen alive aboard the submarine.[24][25]

The following day, a court ruled that he be held in pre-trial detention for 24 days on a charge of negligent homicide.[26] Madsen initially claimed that he had dropped Wall off on land at the tip of Refshaleøen on the night before the sinking.[24][27] He later changed his statement, saying that she had died on board in an accident, and that he had buried her at sea.[28] According to the Danish police, the submarine was deliberately sunk, contradicting Madsen's explanation regarding a technical fault.[27]

A human torso washed up on the coast of Amager on 21 August, which DNA tests concluded belonged to Wall.[29] Chief investigator Jens Møller reported that the torso had been stabbed multiple times to vent accumulating gases that could float it to the surface, and that a piece of metal had been fastened to it to ensure its sinking to the seabed.[30] On 25 August, Madsen's charge was extended to improper handling of a corpse.[31]

Trial and conviction

During a hearing on 5 September, Madsen stated that Wall had been killed when he lost his grip on the submarine's hatch cover, which he was holding open for her, and it hit her on the head, causing her skull to fracture.[32] On 7 October 2017, Royal Danish Navy divers assisting the police found Wall's head, arms and legs, along with a knife and pieces of her clothing, in bags at the bottom of Køge Bay, weighted down by pieces of metal. A police spokesperson reported that there were no fractures to Wall's skull.[33]

A post-mortem examination of the torso found "knife wounds to her genitals and ribcage", believed to have been caused "around or shortly after her death". The prosecution said that police had found videos on Madsen's computer showing women being murdered, and that witnesses said that they had seen Madsen watching videos of decapitation and practising asphyxiation sex.[34] On 30 October 2017, it was reported that Madsen had changed his account of Wall's death and admitted dismembering her body.[35]

It was reported that he now claimed that she had died from carbon monoxide poisoning on board the submarine, but his legal representation denied this, saying that Madsen did not know how she died. It was later confirmed by the police that he had made no clear statement on how she had died, but had said that she was inside the submarine when it contained exhaust gases.[36]

In January 2018, Madsen was charged with murder, indecent handling of a corpse (due to dismemberment), and sexual assault (due to stabbings in genital region). The prosecution accused him of having bound, hit, cut and stabbed Wall before killing her by cutting her throat or strangling her.[37][38][39] Madsen's trial began on 8 March 2018 with him pleading not guilty to Wall's murder.[40] On 25 April 2018, Madsen was found guilty of all charges, and sentenced to life imprisonment.[2][39][41][42] A psychiatric evaluation of Madsen described him as a narcissistic psychopath, lacking in empathy but not psychotic or delusional.[43] Madsen immediately appealed the sentence but not the guilty verdict.[44][45] On 26 September 2018, the Østre Landsret (High Court of Eastern Denmark) upheld the sentence.[46]

Later events and escape

Madsen was admitted to the hospital in August 2018 after being assaulted by an 18-year-old inmate in Storstrøm Prison.[47] Madsen was also in a relationship with a female prison guard.[48]

On 20 October 2020, Madsen escaped from prison. He was arrested again in a residential area near Herstedvester Prison. When police discovered that he was in possession of a pistol-like object and was wearing a belt that could potentially contain explosives, he was surrounded until bomb experts had determined that it was a decoy.[49] On 9 February 2021, a Copenhagen court handed down a 21-month prison sentence to Madsen, for his attempted escape from jail.[50] The additional sentence was not added to the life sentence, but may play a role if a future probation request is made.[51]

Media

On 24 January 2020, a Danish documentary, Into the Deep, premiered at the Sundance Festival in Utah, United States.[52] The 90-minute documentary was directed by Australian-born Emma Sullivan and chronicles Peter Madsen and a group of volunteers helping Madsen with his projects – shot as it happens before, during, and after the murder of Kim Wall.[53]

The Investigation (Efterforskningen) is a Danish-language television dramatisation created by Tobias Lindholm, 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 as chief inspector Jens Møller, Pilou Asbæk as special prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen and Rolf Lassgård and Pernilla August as Wall's parents. The TV series does not feature the crime itself and does not mention Madsen's name, whose character does not appear onscreen either; it focuses on the investigative work leading to his indictment and conviction. It has been compared to the 2020 BBC series The Salisbury Poisonings.[54][55] The series was broadcast on UK's BBC Two between 22 January and 5 February 2021.[56][57] HBO began showing it on 1 February 2021.[58]

References

  1. ↑ "Peter Madsen « European Youth Entrepreneurship Conference".
  2. 1 2 "Inventor Madsen guilty of Kim Wall murder". BBC News. 25 April 2018. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. ↑ Robdrup, B. (7 February 2018). "Raket-Madsen fra Høng er en varm historie i Frankrig" [Rocket-Madsen of Høng is a major story in France]. sn.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  4. ↑ Jeong, M. (15 February 2018). "The Final, Terrible Voyage of the 'Nautilus'". Wired. Archived from the original on 6 March 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "Who is Peter Madsen, the Danish inventor charged with murdering Kim Wall?". Fox News Channel. 25 April 2018. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  6. ↑ Madsen, M.C. (16 October 2017). "Skolelærer om Peter Madsen: Sådan husker jeg ham" [School teacher about Peter Madsen: This is how I remember him] (in Danish). BT.dk. Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  7. 1 2 Buch, D. (26 August 2017). "Her er portrættet af Peter Madsen Peter Madsen" [Here is the portrait of Peter Madsen] (in Danish). TV2.dk. Archived from the original on 12 May 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  8. ↑ Robdrup, B. (23 August 2017). "Portræt: Drabssigtet ubådsejer og raketbygger er fra Høng" [Portrait: The homicide-charged submarine owner and rocket builder from Høng]. sn.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  9. ↑ Bergman, P. (23 October 2017). "Forfatter: Peter Madsen fandt sin far død og vendte ham ryggen" [Author: Peter Madsen found his dead father and turned him on his back]. avisen.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  10. ↑ "About". dark.dk. Archived from the original on 30 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  11. 1 2 Aagaard, L.H. (22 August 2017). "Peter Madsen, manden uden stopknap" [Peter Madsen, the man without a stop button]. Berlingske Tidende (in Danish). Archived from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  12. ↑ "Danish inventor Peter Madsen sentenced to life in prison for murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall". ABC News. Associated Press. 25 April 2018. Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  13. ↑ "Danish engineer Peter Madsen sentenced to life for murdering journalist Kim Wall". The Guardian. 25 April 2018. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  14. ↑ Jeong, May. "The Final, Terrible Voyage of the 'Nautilus'". Wired. Archived from the original on 6 March 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018 – via www.wired.com.
  15. ↑ Astrup, Peter (11 February 2018), Raket-Madsen er blevet forladt af sin kone (in Danish), archived from the original on 9 November 2020, retrieved 23 September 2020
  16. ↑ Kerpner, Joachim (13 January 2020). "Kim Walls mördare gift sig med rysk kvinna". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  17. ↑ As, Tv 2 (13 January 2020). "Ubåt-Madsen har giftet seg". TV 2 (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ↑ Rothwell, James (15 January 2020). "New wife of Danish man who murdered journalist Kim Wall defends their marriage". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  19. ↑ "Peter Madsen: Russian artist marries Danish submarine killer". BBC News. 14 January 2020. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  20. ↑ "UC3 Nautilus Homepage". uc3nautilus.dk. Archived from the original on 5 March 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  21. ↑ Wilson, Mads (10 June 2014). "Farvel Peter, goddag til et nyt CS". Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  22. ↑ "Copenhagen Suborbital – Mission Statement". Archived from the original on 1 September 2011.
  23. ↑ Madsen, Peter (9 August 2017). "Raket-Madsens Rumlaboratorium" [Rocket-Madsen's Space Laboratory]. ing.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  24. 1 2 "Drabssigtelse i sag om ubåd" [Homicide charge in submarine case]. Mynewsdesk (in Danish). Copenhagen Police. 11 August 2017. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  25. ↑ Koerner, Claudia (12 August 2017). "Submarine Builder Arrested On Suspicion Of Killing Journalist After Vessel Sinks". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  26. ↑ "Opfinder er varetægtsfængslet i 24 dage for uagtsomt manddrab" [Inventor is held in remand for 24 days for involuntary manslaughter]. Politiken (in Danish). 12 August 2017. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  27. 1 2 "Kim Wall: Danish submarine was 'deliberately sunk'". BBC News. 13 August 2017. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  28. ↑ Elkjær, Jane Bruun; Søndberg, Astrid (21 August 2017). "Peter Madsen: Kim Wall døde i en ulykke på ubåden" [Peter Madsen: Kim Wall died in an accident in the submarine]. tv2.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  29. ↑ Sorensen, Martin Selsoe (23 August 2017). "Kim Wall Is Confirmed Dead as Danish Inventor Is Investigated". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  30. ↑ Nielsen, N.S.; Gram, K.D. (23 August 2017). "Drabschef: Kim Walls lig skulle blive på havbunden" [Homicide investigation leader: Kim Wall's body was supposed to stay on the seabed]. DR (in Danish). Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  31. ↑ Gottschalck, Anna (25 August 2017). "Peter Madsen nægter usømmelig omgang med et lig" [Peter Madsen denies improper handling of a corpse]. Berlingske Tidende (in Danish). Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  32. ↑ Bjørnager, Jens Anton (5 September 2017). "Retten afviser at lukke døre i ubådssag: Nu får vi Peter Madsens forklaring" [Court denies request for a closed-door hearing: Now, the public will get Peter Madsen's explanation]. B.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  33. ↑ Jensen, Teis (7 October 2017). "Danish divers find missing body parts of Swedish journalist". Reuters. Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  34. ↑ "Kim Wall death: Danish inventor Madsen admits dismembering journalist". BBC News. 30 October 2017. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  35. ↑ Kentish, Ben (30 October 2017). "Kim Wall: Danish submarine inventor admits dismembering Swedish journalist's body". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  36. ↑ "Politiet præciserer udmelding om Peter Madsen efter kritik" [Clarification by the police after criticism]. TV2 (in Danish). 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 1 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  37. ↑ Henley, Jon (16 January 2018). "Peter Madsen formally charged with murder of Kim Wall on submarine". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 June 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  38. ↑ Sorensen, Martin Selsoe (2018). "Danish inventor abused Kim Wall before killing her, indictment says". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  39. 1 2 "Dom i ubådssag" [Conviction in the submarine case] (in Danish). Københavns Byret, Danmarks Domstole. 25 April 2018. Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  40. ↑ "Inventor on trial over submarine murder". BBC News. 8 March 2018. Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  41. ↑ Orange, Richard (25 April 2018). "Peter Madsen sentenced to life for murdering journalist Kim Wall". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  42. ↑ "Danish inventor Peter Madsen jailed for life over submarine murder". The Local. 25 April 2018. Archived from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  43. ↑ Sorensen, Martin (25 April 2018). "Peter Madsen, Danish Inventor, Is Convicted of Killing Kim Wall". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  44. ↑ Larsen, Sally Frydenlund (26 April 2018). "Hvad sker der nu i ubådssagen: 9 spørgsmål til professoren" [What's happening now in the submarine case: 9 questions to the professor]. Dr.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  45. ↑ "The Latest: Danish inventor to appeal murder sentence". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 25 April 2018. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  46. ↑ Ilsøe, Trine Maria (8 October 2018). "Dom i ubådssagen: Peter Madsen idømt livstid i landsretten" (in Danish). DR News. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  47. ↑ "The Copenhagen Post". 17 August 2018. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  48. ↑ Graham, August. "Prison guard fell for Danish submarine killer Peter Madsen". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  49. ↑ "Medier: Peter Madsen er anholdt efter flugt fra fængslet". Berlingske.dk (in Danish). 20 October 2020. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  50. ↑ Kwai, Isabella (9 February 2021). "Sentenced for a Jailbreak". The New York Times.
  51. ↑ "Danish sub killer gets 19 months for brief prison escape". Washington Post. 9 February 2021. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021.
  52. ↑ "into-the-deep". sundance.org. Archived from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  53. ↑ "Into the Deep world premieres at Sundance". dfi.dk. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  54. ↑ "Tobias Lindholm: "'Utredningen' handlar om att hitta ljuset i ett svart hål"". DN.SE (in Swedish). 24 September 2020. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  55. ↑ https://www.sydsvenskan.se/2020-09-25/pernilla-august-forsta-tanken-var-nej-tack Archived 25 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine (in Swedish)
  56. ↑ Rampton, James (20 January 2021). "How the writer of Borgen took on the murder of Kim Wall in The Investigation". Independent. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  57. ↑ "BBC: The Investigation". Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  58. ↑ "HBO TV Schedule". HBO.
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