The Submarine Killer: Confessions of a Murderer - When and where was Kim Wall last seen alive? 

When Kim Wall disappeared in August 2017, and her dismembered body washed ashore, the press was taken by storm trying to investigate the murder of their colleague.

The Submarine Killer: Confessions of a Murderer is a true-crime documentary series that brings to light twenty hours of recorded telephone interviews with Peter Madsen, who was convicted of murdering journalist Kim Wall on board his submarine. The first episode of the series aired on April 8, 2022.

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Who was Kim Wall and how did she face an untimely death?

Kim Wall was a reputed journalist who worked for the likes of The Guardian and The New York Times. She was keen on interviewing Peter Madsen, a self-proclaimed Danish inventor. Kim had reached out to Madsen for an interview, so when she heard back from Madsen who agreed to the interview and invited her aboard his submarine, Kim agreed to go and skipped her own going-away party. She boarded the submarine from Copenhagen harbour, where she was last seen.

Kim Wall was scheduled for a two-hour ride, but when she did not return home, her boyfriend called the police. The next morning, on August 11, 2017, Madsen's submarine was located by the Danish Navy. Soon after, it began to sink and Madsen swam to a rescue boat. But there was no sign of Wall.

Peter Madsen told authorities that he had dropped off Wall, but the inconsistencies in his account made the police suspicious.

Several days later, Wall's torso washed ashore nearby. Madsen immediately changed his story and claimed that she had died after a hatch fell on her head and that he had given her a burial at sea. However, when divers discovered her head, which had no trace of trauma to the skull, Madsen again changed his story to say that she suffered an accidental death from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Kim Wall was last seen on August 10, 2022 aboard Peter Madsen's submarine, where she faced a brutal death. Her dismembered body was recovered from the sea 10 days after she was reported missing.

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Was the submarine killer brought to trial?

Peter Madsen was sentenced to life in prison in 2018 for the murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall. Although he never confessed to the crime and claimed it was an accident, the evidence against him was strong. There were fifteen stab wounds found on Wall’s body, along with traces of Madsen’s DNA. An investigation of Madsen’s computer, which uncovered material featuring women being tortured and killed, added to the evidence against him. It was clear that Madsen had unusual and dangerous s*xual fantasies and used Wall for gratification.

The 49-year-old was found guilty of premeditated murder, aggravated s*xual assault and desecrating a corpse. According to the trial judge, Anette Burkø, the crime was,

“a cynical and pre-planned s*xual assault of a particularly brutal nature on a random woman who, in connection with her journalistic work, accepted an invitation for a sailing trip”.

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Following his sentence, Peter Madsen made an appeal to the court, asking for a lighter punishment. But the court held its judgment.