Danish police say torso that of missing reporter

By Ilker Girit

ISTANBUL

Danish police on Wednesday confirmed that a female torso found on Monday in waters south of Copenhagen is that of missing Swedish journalist Kim Wall.

DNA samples taken from the remains have been matched with samples obtained from Wall’s hairbrush and toothbrush, Danish investigation leader Jens Moller Jensen told a news briefing at Copenhagen’s police headquarters.

Autopsy results had revealed that the missing limbs and head had been cut from the torso deliberately, Jensen added.

On Monday, police said 46-year-old Danish inventor, Peter Madsen -- who has been charged with the death of 30-year-old Wall -- claimed she died in an accident, and that he buried her at sea in a private submarine.

Wall had been onboard the craft as part of research she was conducting for a story on Madsen.

"The defendant has explained to the police and the Court that there was an accident on board which caused Kim Wall’s death and that he consequently buried her at sea at a non-defined location in the Bay of Koge," Copenhagen police said on Monday.

However, Madsen’s lawyer, Betina Hald Engmark, told Danish newspaper BT early on Wednesday that the DNA match did not change “my client’s explanation that an accident has occurred”.

Madsen, the private submarine’s owner, had invited Wall on a short voyage on the night of Aug. 10, but the journalist was later reported missing.

The sunken submarine was located by the emergency services on Aug. 11, according to local media, but Wall’s body had remained unfound.

In his first police interrogation, Madsen had initially claimed Wall had left the 40-ton vessel of her own will.