Missing journalist Kim Wall 'died in accident on-board submarine', police reveal

Swedish journalist Kim Wall
EPA
Chloe Chaplain21 August 2017
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A Danish inventor said that a missing journalist died on-board his home-built submarine and he dumped her body at sea, police have revealed.

Swedish journalist Kim Wall was reported missing after she failed to return from an interview with Peter Madsen on-board his 60-foot long submarine.

Madsen previously claimed his last sighting of Ms Wall was when he dropped her off on the tip of an island off Copenhagen on August 10.

He initially insisted he played no role in her disappearance but Copenhagen police said he has now told officers Ms Wall, 30, died as a result of an accident on the boat.

He claimed he buried her body at an undisclosed location at sea and has denied any wrongdoing.

Peter Madsen (R), builder and captain of the private submarine 'UC3 Nautilus' which sank
AFP/Getty Images

But police said he will continue to be held on preliminary manslaughter charges.

Ms Wall's family previously told The Associated Press that she worked in many dangerous places as a journalist, but it was unimaginable that "something could happen... just a few miles from the childhood home".

Ms Wall’s boyfriend alerted police that she was missing when the sub had not returned from a test run, police said.

Madsen was rescued at sea after jumping off the submarine. He told rescuers that something had gone wrong on the machine and he was unable to fix it so he was forced to abandon ship.

But he was arrested by police hours later.

Danish police chief president Steen Hansen told Swedish news agency: “We believe he is telling the truth when he says she died in the submarine.”

But he did not comment as to whether police believe Ms Wall’s death was an accident.

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