Prosecutors Reveal Theory on Kim Wall's Death

Inventor Peter Madsen was charged Tuesday with killing Swedish journalist Kim Wall during an Aug. 10 trip on his private submarine, with prosecutors saying he either cut her throat or strangled her. Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen said the case is "very unusual and extremely disturbing." Madsen is charged with murder as well as indecent handling of a corpse for the way he disposed of Wall's body. The Guardian reports he was also charged with a sex assault that did not involve intercourse, and it notes 14 of the 15 stab wounds identified on Wall's body were located near her genitals. Madsen claimed Wall died accidentally inside the submarine while he was on deck during the excursion. However, he later admitted throwing her body parts into the sea.

Madsen has offered a shifting variety of explanations for Wall's death. Initially, he told authorities he had dropped Wall off on an island several hours after their voyage began. Later, he said she had died in an accident on board and he had "buried" her at sea. Her dismembered, naked torso was found on a southern Copenhagen coast in late August and her head, legs, and clothes were discovered in bags at sea in October. Heavy metal objects were designed to take them to the ocean floor. The trial starts March 8 and a verdict is expected on April 25, reports the AP. The Guardian reports Madsen faces a life sentence.

(More Kim Wall stories.)