Alleged Kim Wall killer accused of 'psychopathic tendencies'
The Danish man accused of killing journalist Kim Wall has “psychopathic tendencies” and exhibited “no empathy or feelings of guilt,” according to prosecutors.
Peter Madsen pleaded not guilty on Thursday at the first day of his trial in Copenhagen, where he took the 30-year-old Swede aboard his homemade submarine as she was writing a story about him last August.
Wall’s dismembered body parts were later found washed shore, and prosecutor Jakub Buch-Jepsen said that Madsen, a 47-year-old known for making his own rocket, had plotted out the way he was going to torture and kill his victim.
Madsen also allegedly had texts and videos about torturing women on his computer, the court heard.
The trial is complicated by the fact that no exact cause of death has been given for Wall, though authorities have said they believe the inventor, who also faces charges of mishandling a corpse and sexual assault without intercourse, strangled her.
Madsen has admitted dismembering her body, but his account, which has shifted multiple times, says that the journalist died after an accident on the submarine.
When radioed about problems the night of the alleged attack, he said that he had already dropped off Wall ashore and was only experiencing technical problems.
He said in court Thursday that he was “in total denial of what happened” at the time, but did not elaborate on how his guest may have died.
The accused killer was silent and looked downwards as prosecutors led the beginning of the trial, which was attended by more than one hundred journalists from around the world.
Loved ones of Wall, a freelancer who had written for outlets such as The Guardian, have helped establish a fund for young women journalists in her name and hope she is remembered for her work rather than her death.
With News Wire Services
