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Danish Inventor Who Killed, Dismembered Journalist Aboard Submarine Escapes From Prison After Making Bomb Threat
Peter Madsen, who murdered Kim Wall aboard his homemade submarine in 2017, was recaptured a short time after breaking out of a Copenhagen jail.
A Danish inventor convicted of killing and dismembering a Swedish journalist on board his homemade submarine escaped from prison Tuesday by threatening that he was wearing a bomb—but the jail break was short-lived.
Peter Madsen was found a short time later not far from the Copenhagen jail, where he is currently serving a life sentence for killing 30-year-old reporter Kim Wall in 2017, according to The Guardian.
The Ekstra Bladet tabloid posted a video showing Madsen after he was apprehended, sitting on the grass with his hands behind his back. Armed police surrounded Madsen, who had a belt-like object around his stomach.
Police said on Twitter that “a man has been arrested after attempted escape,” according to The Associated Press.
The bomb squad was also spotted at the scene.
It's still unclear exactly what happened leading up to the escape. Danish media reported that Madsen had allegedly taken a hostage inside the prison and threatened that person with what looked like a firearm before his escape.
Madsen was sentenced to life in prison in 2018 murdering, sexually mutilating and dismembering Wall before throwing her remains into the sea, Reuters reports.
Wall had gone aboard his homemade submarine, a 60-foot UC3 Nautilus, with the promise of getting an interview with Madsen.
Madsen initially denied that he killed the 30-year-old and claimed that she had died accidentally while aboard the ship. He gave shifting accounts of how she died, first claiming she hit her head on a hatch and then saying she died from carbon monoxide poisoning aboard the submarine.
While he initially denied killing her, he did confess to dismembering her and dumping her body.
But in a recent interview for a documentary, the 49-year-old admitted for the first time to killing the journalist, The New York Post reports.
Wall's dismembered torso was found at sea off Copenhagen just a few days after she died. Other body parts were later recovered in weighted bags.
Madsen apologized in court to the victim’s family during his appeal, which he lost.
In Denmark, a life sentence typically translates to 16 years behind bars; however, inmates can serve longer if it's determined they pose a danger to society.
