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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][3]

Key Information

Biography

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Madsen was born on 12 January, 1971 to Annie and Carl Madsen. He spent his early life in Sæby and Høng (both in Kalundborg Municipality), Denmark.[4] Annie was more than 30 years younger than Carl and had three other sons from two previous men. Carl was allegedly abusive toward his three stepsons. Annie left when Peter was six, taking the children with her.[5][6] 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.[7] 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 to the ground.[8] In 1987, Madsen was accepted at the gymnasium (upper secondary school) in the nearby town of Kalundborg.[8] He moved to live in a youth house in the town. His father died in 1990 when Peter was 19.[9][10]

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,[11] but the other members gradually became disillusioned with him. DARK members claimed that "saying his name would start the fire sprinkler system".[12] He never finished any formal education, but took courses in welding and engineering to learn something about submarines.[13][14] 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.[12]

Personal life

[edit]

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.[15][16]

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, the couple divorced on 7 January 2022.[17][18][19][20]

Projects

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

Submarines

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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).[21]

Copenhagen Suborbitals

[edit]
Main article: Copenhagen Suborbitals

On 1 May 2008, Madsen co-founded Copenhagen Suborbitals with Danish Architect Kristian von Bengtson. In June 2014, he left the project.[22] Madsen was responsible for the launch system, launchpad and booster rocket engines.[23]

Rocket Madsen Space Lab

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Main article: 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.[24]

Murder of Kim Wall and sinking of UC3 Nautilus

[edit]
Main article: Murder of Kim Wall

Murder

[edit]

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.[25][26]

The following day, a court ruled that he be held in pre-trial detention for 24 days on a charge of negligent homicide.[27] Madsen initially claimed that he had dropped Wall off on land at the tip of Refshaleøen on the night before the sinking.[25][28] He later changed his statement, saying that she had died on board in an accident, and that he had buried her at sea.[29] According to the Danish police, the submarine was deliberately sunk, contradicting Madsen's explanation regarding a technical fault.[28]

A human torso washed up on the coast of Amager on 21 August, which DNA tests concluded belonged to Wall.[30] 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.[31] On 25 August, Madsen's charge was extended to improper handling of a corpse.[32]

Trial and conviction

[edit]

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.[33] 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.[34]

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.[35] On 30 October 2017, it was reported that Madsen had changed his account of Wall's death and admitted dismembering her body.[36]

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.[37]

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.[38][39][40] Madsen's trial began on 8 March 2018 with him pleading not guilty to Wall's murder.[41] On 25 April 2018, Madsen was found guilty of all charges, and sentenced to life imprisonment.[2][40][42][43] A psychiatric evaluation of Madsen described him as a narcissistic psychopath, lacking in empathy but not psychotic or delusional.[44] Madsen immediately appealed the sentence but not the guilty verdict.[45][46] On 26 September 2018, the Østre Landsret (High Court of Eastern Denmark) upheld the sentence.[47]

Later events and escape

[edit]

Madsen was admitted to a hospital in August 2018 after being assaulted by an 18-year-old inmate in Storstrøm Prison.[48] Madsen was also in a relationship with a female prison guard.[49]

On 20 October 2020, Madsen escaped from prison. He was apprehended 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.[50] On 9 February 2021, a Copenhagen court handed Madsen a 21-month prison sentence for his attempted escape from jail.[51] The additional sentence was not added to the life sentence, but may play a role if a future probation request is made.[52] In 2024 a short documentary was made about Peter Madsen's escape from jail.

Media

[edit]

On 24 January 2020, a Danish documentary, Into the Deep, premiered at the Sundance Festival in Utah, United States.[53] 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 and after the murder of Kim Wall.[54]

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.[55][56] The series was broadcast on UK's BBC Two between 22 January and 5 February 2021.[57][58] HBO began showing it on 1 February 2021.[59]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Peter Madsen

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from Grokipedia
Peter Madsen (born 12 January 1971) is a Danish convicted murderer and self-taught inventor best known for constructing the homemade , on which he murdered Swedish freelance journalist Kim Wall in 2017. Raised by his father, an innkeeper, after his parents separated when he was six, Madsen developed an early interest in but dropped out of formal studies and pursued projects as a hobbyist. He co-founded the amateur space organization in 2008, contributing to the launch of the HEAT-1X rocket in 2011, though he was expelled from the group in 2014 following internal conflicts over project direction. Active in 's alternative art and maker community on Refshaleøen island, Madsen built , including Kraka and the in 2008 with volunteer help, using it for publicity stunts like a "" performance. On 10 2017, Wall, aged 30, boarded the off for an about Madsen's projects; she vanished the next day after Madsen returned alone, initially claiming an from a hatch falling on her head or . Dismembered remains of Wall, including her torso with 15 stab wounds, head, arms, and legs, were recovered from the sea and a bay near over subsequent weeks, leading to Madsen's for , , and of a corpse. In April 2018, City Court convicted him of premeditated based on evidence including videos on his computer and his changing accounts, sentencing him to , which in typically means 12 to 16 years but can extend longer. Madsen maintained his innocence during the trial but admitted to the killing for the first time in a 2020 documentary while serving his sentence at Herstedvester State Prison. In October 2020, he briefly escaped custody by faking a diagnosis but was recaptured hours later, resulting in an additional 21-month sentence in 2021.

Early Life and Background

Childhood and Family

Peter Madsen was born in 1971 and spent his early childhood living with his mother, Annie Madsen, in the small Danish town of Høng on the west coast of . His parents divorced when he was six years old, after which Annie left the household, taking Madsen's three older half-brothers with her, while Madsen remained to live with his father, Carl Madsen. Carl, an innkeeper more than 30 years older than Annie, was described by Madsen as authoritarian and violent, often comparing him to a Nazi concentration camp commander due to his domineering behavior toward the family, including of the stepsons. The household environment after the was marked by tension, as Carl restricted Madsen's contact with his mother, reportedly telling the young boy that visiting her meant he could not return home, effectively using him as leverage in the ongoing parental conflict. Despite the strained dynamics, Carl supported Madsen's budding technical interests by building him a personal and sharing passions for , war jets, rockets, and submarines, which exposed the boy to hands-on from an early age. This early fascination with , fostered in the , laid the groundwork for Madsen's later self-taught pursuits in and construction. Carl Madsen died in 1989 at the age of 81, when Peter was 18 years old, an event that profoundly affected the young man amid their already complex relationship marked by both encouragement and repression. Madsen later referred to his father as a "" in biographical accounts, highlighting the lasting emotional impact of the loss and the upbringing in a repressive environment.

Education and Early Interests

Madsen attended Kalundborg Gymnasium, an upper , starting in 1987 after facing academic challenges in earlier grades, including special classes in . However, he did not complete the program or obtain a formal degree, leaving school at age 16 without qualifications. Influenced by his father's keen interest in , Madsen developed a passion for technical pursuits from a young age, particularly model rocketry, which he explored during school breaks by researching library books on rocket fuels and space travel. His early rocketry experiments began in his teenage years, culminating in his first launch on , 1986, at age 15. Using a makeshift setup dubbed "Cape Cosmos" near his school in Høng, Madsen constructed a 1-meter-tall from a sewer pipe, powered by 3.5 kg of homemade derived from , soda, and wallpaper glue. The model reached an altitude of about 100 meters before flipping and crashing approximately 16 meters from the launch site, marking his initial foray into without any formal guidance. To support these hobbies, he apprenticed informally with teachers in metalwork and physics, gaining foundational skills in fabrication. Lacking higher education, Madsen pursued self-taught through vocational means, taking courses in and metalwork while working as a . These practical trainings allowed him to acquire hands-on expertise in construction techniques, bridging his early interests toward more ambitious projects, though he never enrolled in or completed a degree.

Engineering Career and Projects

Submarine Constructions

Peter Madsen, largely self-taught in , shifted his focus from to construction in the early , founding the volunteer group Ubadsklubben Freya to support his projects. His inaugural , the UC1 Freya, was constructed in 2001–2002 by Madsen and Claus Nørregaard as a demonstrator, funded through business sponsorships and private donations. The vessel measured 7 meters in length with a beam of 1 meter and a height of 2.9 meters, featuring basic propulsion and capable of operating at depths up to 10 meters. It completed over 500 test dives before being decommissioned in 2006 and intentionally sunk in 2008 to serve as an near . Building on this experience, Madsen developed the UC2 Kraka as an improved model, completed after approximately 2.5 years of work involving over 3,600 man-hours from volunteers. Launched in 2005, the 12.6-meter-long displaced 6 tonnes and employed diesel-electric propulsion with a 16-horsepower for surface travel and an 8-horsepower for submerged operations. It underwent successful test dives and maneuvers in waters before being retired in 2009 and later displayed as an exhibit at Denmark's Technical Museum in . Madsen's most ambitious project, the , represented a significant advancement in scale and capability, constructed over three years by a team of about 25 volunteers using donated materials like iron and scrap parts. Funded primarily through online campaigns and additional donations totaling approximately 1.5 million Danish kroner (around US$200,000), the was launched on May 3, 2008, in Harbour amid a public celebration attended by hundreds. Measuring 17.76 meters in length with a 2-meter beam and displacing 40 tonnes, it could accommodate up to eight passengers while being operable by a and featured diesel and electric systems for enhanced maneuverability. The conducted multiple public demonstrations, including dives and surface runs in local waters, showcasing Madsen's prowess to crowds and media. Construction of all three submarines occurred at Madsen's workshop in a disused on Refshaleøen, an industrial island in that fostered a collaborative environment among artists, makers, and engineers. Key challenges included securing funding without institutional support, sourcing affordable materials, and coordinating volunteer efforts, often leading to delays and improvisational solutions in design and assembly. Despite these hurdles, the projects highlighted Madsen's innovative approach to amateur submersible engineering, achieving milestones in private Danish .

Space and Rocket Ventures

Peter Madsen co-founded the nonprofit organization on May 1, 2008, alongside Danish architect and engineer Kristian von Bengtson. The initiative aimed to achieve the first amateur crewed , reaching an altitude above the at 100 kilometers without reliance on government or corporate funding, through open-source designs and volunteer collaboration. A major milestone for was the development and launch of the HEAT 1X rocket, a hybrid rocket engine system intended to propel a crewed capsule into . Following an unsuccessful test in September 2010, the rocket achieved a partially successful flight on June 3, 2011, from a sea-based platform in the near Nexø, , reaching an apogee of approximately 2.8 kilometers before trajectory issues prompted remote shutdown. This launch demonstrated key technologies, including sea-based deployment and hybrid , marking one of the earliest efforts at suborbital rocketry. Madsen's involvement with ended in June 2014 amid internal conflicts, including an angry spat with von Bengtson, leading to his departure from the organization. Following his exit, Madsen established Rocket Madsen Space Lab (RML Space Lab) in July 2014 at a in Copenhagen's Refshaleøen area, focusing on the development of crewed and small launch vehicles for nano-satellites. Like its predecessor, the lab relied on campaigns and volunteer contributions for funding, emphasizing accessible private space travel. Achievements included prototype testing and static firings of rocket components, as well as collaborations with other amateur space enthusiasts to advance nano-satellite deployment systems.

Murder of Kim Wall

Events Leading to the Incident

Kim Wall was a 30-year-old Swedish freelance renowned for her investigative reporting on international stories, including dispatches from , , and for outlets such as , , and . Interested in innovative engineering and outsider figures, Wall had pursued an interview with Peter Madsen—a self-taught Danish inventor known for his ambitious projects, including the homemade —for several months. She first contacted him on March 24, 2017, to discuss his work, but the meeting materialized only after repeated follow-ups. On August 10, 2017, finally arranged to board the at Refshaleøen, a former shipyard island in harbor, for what was intended as a short trip. Accompanied only by Madsen, she arrived around 19:00, and the submarine departed shortly thereafter into the waters of Bugt. Wall texted her boyfriend, Ole Ezratty, from the vessel to update him on the outing, expressing excitement about the opportunity. Wall's last known communication came at 19:46, when she messaged Ezratty: "I'm still alive btw... I love you! He brought coffee and cookies tho," noting that she was heading as the submarine submerged. Ezratty, who was monitoring her location via a shared phone app, grew worried when the signal vanished and she failed to respond to subsequent texts or calls; he expected her return within a couple of hours but alerted authorities around midnight after hours of silence. Meanwhile, Madsen later claimed to have returned the submarine to Refshaleøen alone around 23:20, asserting that Wall had disembarked safely earlier in the evening near a local restaurant. In initial statements to authorities and communications with Ezratty on , Madsen maintained that Wall had left the vessel unharmed. These claims emerged as Ezratty and police pressed for details amid the growing search for Wall.

Sinking of UC3 Nautilus and Initial Investigation

On , 2017, the submarine sank deliberately in Køge Bay, , shortly after 10:30 a.m., as determined by investigators, following Kim Wall's boarding of the vessel the previous evening for an with its builder, Peter Madsen. The 40-ton submarine, which had departed harbor on August 10, was spotted from a nearby before it submerged rapidly within 30 seconds due to flooding in a that Madsen had reportedly opened intentionally. Madsen was rescued from the water by a passing private boat shortly after the sinking, but Wall was not present, prompting immediate concern. He was arrested the following day, August 12, on suspicion of in maritime safety for the vessel. Danish authorities raised the from the seabed that same day using a salvage operation, during which traces of blood were discovered inside the hatch and on a bulkhead grating; subsequent DNA analysis, using samples from Wall's toothbrush and hairbrush obtained on August 12, confirmed the blood matched hers. On August 12, 2017, Madsen was formally charged with in connection with Wall's disappearance, as police suspected foul play amid the deliberate sinking. A search of Madsen's at Refshaleøen revealed various tools consistent with submarine maintenance, as well as digital files including videos depicting , though the full implications of these materials emerged later in the probe. Public search efforts intensified immediately, involving police drones for aerial surveillance over Køge Bay and divers to scour the seabed and coastal areas for evidence or remains, but no trace of Wall was found in the initial sweeps. Throughout the early investigation, Madsen's accounts of Wall's fate proved inconsistent, initially claiming on August 11 that he had safely dropped her off at a dock around 10:30 p.m. the previous night before the submarine encountered technical issues. On , following the discovery of Wall's dismembered torso washed ashore near (identified as hers via DNA and showing 14 stab wounds and deliberate mutilation), he revised his statement at a court hearing to assert that Wall had died accidentally aboard the when a 70kg hatch fell on her head and that he had buried her body at sea to prevent decomposition, though he provided no specific location. He later changed this account again. These shifting narratives heightened suspicions and guided the ongoing search operations.

Trial Details

The trial of Peter Madsen for the began on 8 March 2018 at City Court, where he entered a plea of not guilty to charges including premeditated , , and of a corpse. The proceedings lasted several weeks, concluding with closing arguments in late April. Prosecutors argued that Madsen had intentionally killed through and , presenting forensic evidence of 15 stab wounds on her , primarily in the genital area (at least 14), inflicted with a . They detailed how body parts, including the head and legs discovered weeks after the , had been bound with rubber bands, placed in plastic bags, and weighted with metal plates in an attempt to sink them in the strait. Further evidence included over 100 videos, images, and texts recovered from Madsen's computers depicting the , , and of women, some viewed shortly before Wall's death. Madsen's defense maintained that Wall's death was accidental, initially claiming a heavy hatch fell on her head and later asserting from the submarine's engine, while admitting to the as a panicked response. A court-ordered psychiatric by forensic experts diagnosed him as a narcissistic psychopath exhibiting severe lack of and , concluding he posed a continuing danger to others and recommending secure custody. Key witness testimonies included that of Wall's boyfriend, Ole Brundelius, who described her final text messages expressing excitement about the submarine trip and his subsequent frantic search efforts after she went missing. Expert witnesses on mechanics and testified, disputing Madsen's theory by noting the vessel's design prevented lethal gas buildup and highlighting inconsistencies in his account of the engine operation.

Conviction, Sentencing, and Appeals

On 25 April 2018, the Copenhagen City Court found Peter Madsen guilty of premeditated , , and of a corpse in the death of Kim Wall, sentencing him to . The court determined that Madsen had intentionally killed Wall aboard his submarine and dismembered her body, rejecting his claims of an . This verdict was based on forensic evidence, including videos recovered from Madsen's computers depicting , , and of women. Madsen immediately appealed the sentence, though not the guilty verdict itself, arguing that was disproportionate. On 26 September 2018, the Østre Landsret (Eastern ) upheld the life sentence after a retrial, confirming the original findings and deeming the penalty appropriate given the crime's severity. Madsen considered appealing to the Danish (Højesteret) but decided against it in October 2018, finalizing the conviction and sentence. In September 2020, Madsen confessed for the first time to intentionally killing during recorded phone conversations featured in the Danish documentary Peter Madsen - Ubådsmorderen. He admitted to cutting her throat after an altercation, contradicting his prior denials of premeditation. This revelation had no immediate legal impact, as his appeals had already been exhausted. In , a life sentence is indefinite but allows for review after a minimum of 12 years served, with release typically considered after 14 to 16 years if the prisoner is deemed no longer a danger to society. Madsen's sentence thus carries the possibility of conditional release subject to judicial approval, though the nature of his crimes may extend his indefinitely.

Imprisonment and Subsequent Events

Prison Incidents

Following his in April 2018, Peter Madsen was initially held at Storstrøm State pending his appeal. On August 8, 2018, he was assaulted by an 18-year-old fellow inmate at the facility, sustaining minor injuries that did not require hospitalization. The attack prompted Danish prison authorities to transfer Madsen to Herstedvester State , a high-security institution designed for inmates serving long sentences for serious offenses such as , , and violent crimes, where he could receive specialized treatment and monitoring. After his October 2020 escape attempt from Herstedvester, Madsen was transferred to Storstrøm State Prison, another high-security facility. In January 2024, he was moved to Enner Mark Prison, Denmark's primary high-security facility for high-risk offenders, including those serving sentences. There, he has been subject to periodic isolation measures, permitted under Danish for the protection of the inmate or others, which can include placement in observation cells with limited social interaction to mitigate risks associated with his profile. As part of standard protocols for life-sentenced prisoners, Madsen undergoes regular psychological evaluations to assess his , behavioral patterns, and potential for rehabilitation or eligibility after the minimum 12-year term. Danish high-security prisons like Herstedvester, Storstrøm, and Enner Mark emphasize a normalized regime for life-sentence inmates, balancing security with rehabilitation through access to work programs, , and therapeutic activities, though restrictions on movement and contact remain stringent to prevent incidents. These facilities house fewer than 50 life-sentenced individuals at any time, prioritizing individualized treatment plans informed by ongoing psychological assessments to address underlying issues such as aggression or personality disorders.

2020 Escape and Aftermath

On October 20, 2020, Peter Madsen escaped from near by threatening a prison with a fake he had fashioned in his cell and donning a mock , taking the employee briefly before fleeing approximately 400 meters from the facility. Armed police recaptured him within minutes after he discarded the imitation weapons during the pursuit, with no physical injuries reported among staff or officers. The incident, broadcast live on Danish television, highlighted vulnerabilities in the high-security prison's procedures. During his subsequent , Madsen claimed the escape was intended not as a genuine flight but as a protest against what he described as inadequate conditions, including restrictions on his access to materials for inventive projects. On February 9, 2021, a court convicted him of illegal deprivation of liberty, threats, and prison break, imposing an additional 21-month sentence to run consecutively with his life term for the . This followed evidence that the fake gun resembled a carved from soap and other improvised materials. The escape prompted immediate reforms in Denmark's prison system, including enhanced monitoring of high-risk inmates, stricter controls on cell-made items, and revised protocols for one-on-one staff interactions to prevent similar breaches. It also severely diminished Madsen's prospects for future consideration under Danish law, which allows review of life sentences after a minimum of 12 years but weighs behavioral factors heavily; the additional and demonstrated extended his effective incarceration period. In 2024, the short 20.10.20 - Flugten Fra Herstedvester examined the event, reconstructing the sequence and its implications for prison security. Madsen's case influenced a 2021 Danish banning life-sentence prisoners from forming new romantic relationships in , following reports of his involvement with a 17-year-old inmate. In 2023, a ruled that restrictions on his correspondence and visits did not violate his [human rights](/page/Human rights) under the European Convention.

Portrayal in Media

Documentaries

One prominent documentary exploring the murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall by Danish inventor Peter Madsen is Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case (2020), directed by Emma Sullivan. The film premiered at the on January 24, 2020, and later became available on in September 2022. Sullivan, who had initially been filming a profile on Madsen's eccentric rocket and projects at his Refshaleøen , captured extensive pre-murder footage including interviews with Madsen that reveal his charismatic yet manipulative personality and the chaotic backstory of his volunteer-driven endeavors. This material, combined with post-incident interviews from investigators and Madsen's associates, provides an intimate look at the events surrounding Wall's disappearance on August 10, 2017, after boarding Madsen's , and the subsequent investigation that led to his conviction. In September 2020, Madsen publicly confessed to 's murder for the first time in the Danish television documentary The Secret Recordings with Peter Madsen, directed by Pil Gundelach Brandstrup and aired on . The film features over 20 hours of secretly recorded phone conversations between Madsen and journalist Kristian Linnemann, conducted while Madsen was imprisoned, in which he admits guilt by responding "yes" to direct questions about killing and takes full responsibility, stating, "It’s my fault she died… There is only one who is guilty, and that is me." These recordings delve into Madsen's psychological profile, highlighting his denial during the 2018 trial—where he claimed Wall's death was accidental—and his shifting narratives, while emphasizing investigative insights into the premeditated nature of the crime as corroborated by forensic evidence. Another documentary, Undercurrent: The Disappearance of Kim Wall (2022), is a two-part series directed by and aired on . It focuses on Wall's life and career as a , her with Madsen, the investigation into her disappearance and , and the impact on her family and friends, incorporating interviews with Wall's colleagues, her parents, and experts to humanize the victim and contextualize the events without sensationalizing the crime. Shorter documentaries have also addressed specific aspects of Madsen's case, particularly his 2020 prison escape attempt. The 2024 short film 20.10.20 - Flugten Fra Herstedvester, a 20-minute production, examines the events of October 20, 2020, when Madsen briefly fled Herstedvester State Prison using a hijacked prison van before being recaptured, focusing on security lapses and investigative responses in one of Denmark's most secure facilities. Such works underscore ongoing public and media interest in Madsen's manipulative behavior and the broader implications for correctional systems.

Television Adaptations

The Investigation is a Danish television created by , which dramatizes the police investigation into the 2017 murder of Swedish Kim Wall. The six-episode series premiered on September 28, 2020, on TV 2 in and SVT in , airing weekly in slots. It is based on the real events surrounding the 2017 disappearance and subsequent investigation of Wall aboard inventor Peter Madsen's . The series centers on the perspective of the investigators, led by Detective Chief Superintendent Jens Møller, portrayed by Pilou Asbæk, emphasizing procedural diligence and the emotional toll on rather than the perpetrator or victim. Lindholm deliberately avoids depicting Madsen on screen or sensationalizing the crime, opting instead for a restrained that highlights institutional processes and resilience in the face of . This approach underscores the series' commitment to procedural accuracy, drawing from consultations with the actual investigators to maintain fidelity to the investigative timeline and challenges. The Investigation received widespread critical acclaim for its innovative storytelling and respectful handling of a sensitive true-crime case, earning an 84% approval rating on based on 25 reviews. Variety praised it as "the first great scripted series of ," commending its "intense unity of vision" and avoidance of exploitative tropes common in the . It garnered several awards and nominations, including a win for Best International Drama Series at the 2021 Television Festival and a nomination for Best TV Series at the Danish . The series also achieved strong viewership, with its premiere episode drawing a record 748,000 linear viewers and a 42% audience share on TV 2.

References

  1. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/22/world/europe/peter-madsen-kim-wall-submarine-inventor-under-scrutiny-in-death-of-swedish-journalist-.html
  2. https://www.theguardian.com/global/2018/jan/07/copenhagen-killing-peter-madsen-kim-wall-murder-submarine
  3. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40911387
  4. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43894495
  5. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/9/9/danish-convict-admits-to-murdering-swedish-journalist-kim-wall
  6. https://www.npr.org/2020/10/20/925784059/danish-inventor-who-murdered-journalist-on-submarine-in-2017-briefly-escapes-pri
  7. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/world/europe/denmark-madsen-kim-wall-escape.html
  8. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/peter-madsen-guilty-verdict-leaves-lingering-questions-and-pain
  9. https://www.france24.com/en/20170823-peter-madsen-danish-inventor-with-rocky-past
  10. https://ing.dk/artikel/ny-bog-portraetterer-raket-madsen-laes-med-her-172417
  11. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40911387
  12. https://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/the-news-that-shook-the-world-here-is-the-story-about-kim-wall/
  13. https://orbitaltoday.com/2021/08/30/people-in-space-peter-madsen/
  14. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-15/peter-madsen-engineer-submarine-builder-manslaughter-charge/8803156
  15. https://mannedsubmersibles.org/
  16. https://www.wired.com/story/final-terrible-voyage-nautilus/
  17. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40909469
  18. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/inventors-150000-crowd-funded-submarine-10970002
  19. https://copenhagensuborbitals.com/about-us/
  20. https://orbitaltoday.com/2020/12/21/copenhagen-suborbitals-history/
  21. https://copenhagensuborbitals.com/wp_blog/wp_content/uploads/2013/11/HEAT1X_flight.pdf
  22. https://orbitaltoday.com/2021/03/22/copenhagen-suborbitals-launch-history-and-upcoming-launches/
  23. https://www.space.com/11875-homemade-rocket-launch-danish-copenhagen-suborbitals.html
  24. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/danish-submarine-killer-escape-capture-1.5769974
  25. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/08/world/europe/kim-wall-peter-madsen-denmark.html
  26. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40922750
  27. https://apnews.com/general-news-3abf92e7ca2d4cc88305290d9b15bd94
  28. https://abcnews.go.com/International/murder-trial-man-accused-killing-journalist-aboard-submarine/story?id=53591204
  29. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/21/545029872/famed-inventor-says-he-buried-reporter-at-sea-after-his-homemade-sub-sank
  30. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/headless-torso-id-d-missing-submarine-journalist-kim-wall-n795146
  31. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/23/danish-police-confirm-torso-found-copenhagen-journalist-kim-wall
  32. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40999566
  33. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/08/591841770/danish-inventor-denies-murder-as-trial-opens-for-gruesome-submarine-death
  34. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/23/kim-wall-trial-prosecutor-demands-life-sentence
  35. https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/25/europe/kim-wall-murder-peter-madsen-intl
  36. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/danish-inventor-gets-life-for-gory-murder-of-journalist-on-his-submarine-idUSKBN1HW1EK/
  37. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/05/peter-madsen-psychiatric-assessment-kim-wall-trial-copenhagen
  38. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/25/world/europe/peter-madsen-kim-wall-convicted.html
  39. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/07/world/europe/peter-madsen-kim-wall-appeal-denmark.html
  40. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45656489
  41. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/09/danish-killer-peter-madsen-confesses-to-murder-of-kim-wall-for-first-time
  42. https://cphpost.dk/2018-08-17/news/peter-madsen-to-switch-prisons-following-attack/
  43. https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/peter-madsen-was-sentenced-to-life-imprisonment-for-the-murder-of-swedish-journalist-kim-wall-this-is-how-he-lives-in-prison-today.5657481/
  44. https://dignity.dk/wp-content/uploads/DIGNITY-report-to-CPT-on-Denmark-2014-1.pdf
  45. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329190273_Doing_Indefinite_Time_Penal_Confinement_and_the_Life-Imprisoned_Offender_in_Denmark_Finland_and_Sweden
  46. https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/anti-torture-committee-publishes-report-on-denmark
  47. https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/15363NCJRS.pdf
  48. https://apnews.com/general-news-47d622d74d5afecaed8be6274543fca8
  49. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/world/europe/peter-madsen-kim-wall-prison-escape.html
  50. https://www.thelocal.dk/20201117/denmark-tightens-prison-security-after-murderers-escape
  51. https://www.euronews.com/2021/02/09/peter-madsen-danish-submarine-killer-sentenced-to-21-months-for-prison-escape
  52. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34528478/
  53. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58582599
  54. https://apnews.com/article/denmark-madsen-submarine-jail-violations-visits-c18ebb5286509d982a9168baf698d487
  55. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11394296/
  56. https://www.netflix.com/title/80239100
  57. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54018795
  58. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18361656/
  59. https://variety.com/2021/tv/reviews/investigation-tobias-lindholm-1234893379/
  60. https://nordiskfilmogtvfond.com/news/stories/record-opening-for-the-investigation-on-tv2-denmark
  61. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/25/arts/television/kim-wall-the-investigation.html
  62. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/efterforskningen/s01
  63. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9112152/awards/
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