COPENHAGEN -- One of the most talked-about and macabre court cases in recent Danish history is set to conclude Wednesday when the verdict is handed down on whether Peter Madsen tortured and murdered a Swedish journalist during a private submarine trip.

The 12-day trial has seen a series of gruesome allegations made against the inventor, but the autopsy of the cut-up remains of Kim Wall has not been able to specifically identify a precise cause of death.

Wall, 30, who wrote for The New York Times, The Guardian and other publications, set out on the submarine on a sunny August evening last year to interview Madsen, the co-founder of a company that develops and builds manned spacecraft. Her remains were found in plastic bags on the Baltic Sea bed weeks later.

After offering various explanations, the 47-year-old Madsen has claimed that Wall died as a result of a buildup in pressure inside his home-made UC3 Nautilus submarine. On Wednesday at 1 p.m. local time (1100 GMT), a judge and two jurors will rule whether her death was an accident or a murder.

Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for Madsen, who has confessed to cutting up Wall's body up into pieces after he was unable to lift her corpse through the submarine tower so he could bury her at sea.

"What do you do when you have a large problem? You make it smaller," he told the Copenhagen City Court. "I am really, really sorry about what happened."

During the trial that began on March 8 and lasted for 12 court days, prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen sought to prove there was no accident and that Wall may have been tied with her own stockings before Madsen impaled her.

He also said Wall's dismembered torso had multiple stabs, including in the genitals and that semen had been found in Madsen's underwear. Buch-Jepsen also said videos of women being tortured and killed were found on his personal computer -- snuff-like videos that he did not make himself. And Madsen had, according to the prosecution, brought along tools he normally didn't take when sailing.

While arguing that Madsen is not insane, Buch-Jepsen quoted a court-ordered psychiatric report that described him as "emotionally impaired with severe lack of empathy, anger and guilt" and having "psychopathic tendencies."

Before the trial, Madsen had offered shifting explanations for Wall's death -- something Buch-Jepsen used against him. The pair clashed verbally as Madsen brushed off Buch-Jepsen allegations.

Madsen initially said he had dropped Wall off on a Copenhagen island several hours into their submarine trip. Then he said Wall died accidentally inside the submarine when a hatch fell and hit her on the head -- but no indication of a skull injury was found when her head was finally located.

He finally said Wall died because of a pressure problem inside the submarine which Madsen is suspected of having sunk deliberately. Wall, he said, had had "a wonderful evening until it ended in an accident."

Buch-Jepsen said forensic experts had "found nothing" to back Madsen's claim and that there is a risk he could commit "the same kind of crime again."

In Denmark, life sentences are on average 16 years, but the term can be extended if necessary. Or he could be sent to a secure mental facility and locked up as long as he is considered a danger to others.

Madsen's lawyer Betina Hald Engmark has described it "a horror story" but that the prosecution case was based "on undocumented claims." Clearly, she says Madsen did something "horrible" by cutting Wall into pieces, and that he should only be sentenced for that. Under Danish law, indecent handling of a corpse can lead to six months in jail.

"It is not my client's duty to prove that he is innocent. It is the task of the prosecutor to prove that he is guilty," she said in her final argument before the court room.

The parents of the Swedish reporter -- Ingrid and Joachim Wall -- have listened silently during the trial.

As they have done for most of the time since losing their daughter who had reported from post-earthquake Haiti, among other places, studied at Paris' Sorbonne University, the London School of Economics and Columbia University in New York.</s>April 25 (Reuters) - A Danish court on Wednesday will give its verdict in the trial of inventor Peter Madsen, accused of murdering and dismembering a Swedish journalist aboard his homemade submarine in Copenhagen harbor in last August.

Madsen, 47, has admitted to dismembering the corpse of Kim Wall, who died in the submarine when she was researching a story on the inventor. But he has repeatedly denied murdering her.

Police detained Madsen on August 11 last year when he emerged from his submarine without Wall, 30, with whom he had boarded the submarine the previous day.

Later that month, police identified a torso washed ashore in Copenhagen as Wall's. Arms, legs and a head determined to be that of the victim were also later retrieved by the authorities.

The prosecutors said Wall died either by strangulation or having her throat cut. Forensics has not been able to confirm nor deny either allegation.

Madsen said he dismembered the body and threw it overboard because he wanted to restore "normal conditions" on board.

He claims Wall died from breathing exhaust gases that had leaked into the submarine due to a technical error while he was on the deck of the vessel preparing to submerge. Forensics has not been able to back up his claim.

The prosecutor wants the maximum penalty of life in prison or a custodial sentence for Madsen. The defence wants a minimum sentence of six months in prison for dismembering the corpse, which would mean the immediate release of Madsen, as he has already been in custody for eight months.

The verdict is expected about 1100 GMT. The prosecution and the defense have two weeks to decide whether to appeal the sentence.</s>The 30-year-old freelance journalist had met him to interview him for a story.

The 30-year-old freelance journalist had met him to interview him for a story.

DANISH PROSECUTORS HAVE called for a life sentence for submarine builder Peter Madsen, who is on trial for the gruesome murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall aboard his vessel last year.

The verdict is expected tomorrow morning in the “bestial” case, which stunned the nation with a submarine as the crime scene and a well-known eccentric figure in Denmark in the dock for the murder of a 30-year-old freelance journalist who wanted to interview him for a story.

Madsen, 47, is accused of premeditated murder, aggravated sexual assault and desecrating a corpse. He has admitted dismembering her body and tossing the parts into the sea – all of which were recovered – but denies killing Wall.

In the presence of Wall’s family, prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen’s final arguments, followed by defence lawyer Betina Hald Engmark’s pleading, conclude 11 days of hearings at the Copenhagen district court that unveiled Madsen’s macabre fantasies about violent sex and tortured, decapitated women.

Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen arrives for the penultimate hearing in the case against Peter Madsen. Source: AP/PA Images

Madsen is a “perverse polymorph” with “psychopathic traits” who has a “high risk” of repeating offences, according to psychiatrists.

He “tried to create the perfect crime,” the prosecutor said in his closing remarks, referring to a text message Madsen had sent his girlfriend shortly before.

“There cannot be any doubt about guilt in this case,” Jepsen said as he called for life imprisonment which in Denmark averages 16 years.

Rejecting defence arguments of a lack of physical evidence against Madsen, the prosecutor urged the court members – a professional judge and two jurors – to use “common sense” and find him guilty.

The accused has provided three conflicting explanations to what happened since Wall disappeared on 10 August last year and his arrest the following day.

Madsen initially claimed he had dropped Wall off on dry land in Copenhagen on the night of 10 August, but he later changed his story, claiming that a heavy hatch door had fallen on her head and killed her.

When an autopsy report later revealed no blunt trauma to Wall’s skull, he said she died from toxic fumes that filled the vessel after a sudden drop in pressure while he was up on deck.

The prosecution relied on the autopsy, technical findings on the submarine, and explicit content on Madsen’s computer to back up its claim that he murdered Wall as part of a sexual fantasy.

Fourteen stab wounds and piercings were also found in her genital area, according to the report.

While the cause of death is not absolutely certain, Wall’s lungs have signs of “mechanical asphyxia” caused by suffocation or slitting of the throat.

Several hours before Wall boarded the submarine on 10 August, he googled the words “beheaded girl agony” – something Madsen says was “pure coincidence”.

The court was shown some content found on Madsen’s laptop, including downloaded animated and so-called snuff films of women being impaled, hanged and beheaded on his laptop.

“It is not of a sexual nature. This is about strong emotions. I watch these videos to cry and to feel emotions,” he previously told the court.

Madsen has insisted he stabbed Wall’s genital area to prevent gases from building up inside the body after death, which would have made it float to the water’s surface.

A coroner said the injuries were “too superficial” to have this effect.

The defence denounced the prosecution’s flaws in proving Madsen’s motive and the absolute cause of death.

Under cross-examination, coroner Christina Jacobsen admitted she could not totally exclude the possibility of death by toxic fumes, because of the torso’s decomposed state after being submerged for 10 days.

A submarine expert who inspected the Nautilus testified finding no soot in the vessel’s air filters, saying that would be the case if Madsen’s fumes scenario were true, although another expert called by the defence disagreed.

“The prosecution presented a very interesting story. Some would even say a horror story without facts,” Madsen’s lawyer said and called on the court to acquit her client on charges of murder and sexual assault.

Comments are closed on this article as legal proceedings are active.</s>April 25 (Reuters) - A Danish court on Wednesday will give its verdict in the trial of inventor Peter Madsen, accused of murdering and dismembering a Swedish journalist aboard his homemade submarine in Copenhagen harbor in last August.

Madsen, 47, has admitted to dismembering the corpse of Kim Wall, who died in the submarine when she was researching a story on the inventor. But he has repeatedly denied murdering her.

Police detained Madsen on August 11 last year when he emerged from his submarine without Wall, 30, with whom he had boarded the submarine the previous day.

Later that month, police identified a torso washed ashore in Copenhagen as Wall’s. Arms, legs and a head determined to be that of the victim were also later retrieved by the authorities.

The prosecutors said Wall died either by strangulation or having her throat cut. Forensics has not been able to confirm nor deny either allegation.

Madsen said he dismembered the body and threw it overboard because he wanted to restore “normal conditions” on board.

He claims Wall died from breathing exhaust gases that had leaked into the submarine due to a technical error while he was on the deck of the vessel preparing to submerge. Forensics has not been able to back up his claim.

The prosecutor wants the maximum penalty of life in prison or a custodial sentence for Madsen. The defence wants a minimum sentence of six months in prison for dismembering the corpse, which would mean the immediate release of Madsen, as he has already been in custody for eight months.

The verdict is expected about 1100 GMT. The prosecution and the defense have two weeks to decide whether to appeal the sentence.</s>COPENHAGEN (AFP) - Danish prosecutors on Monday (April 23) called for a life sentence for submarine builder Peter Madsen, who is on trial for the gruesome murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall aboard his vessel last year, mutilating her corpse and throwing her body parts in the sea.

The verdict is expected at 11 GMT on Wednesday in the "bestial" case, which stunned the nation with a submarine as the crime scene and a well-known eccentric figure in Denmark in the dock for the murder of a 30-year-old freelance journalist who wanted to interview him for a story.

Madsen, 47, is accused of premeditated murder, aggravated sexual assault and desecrating a corpse.

He has admitted dismembering her body and tossing the parts into the sea - all of which were recovered - but denies killing Ms Wall.

In the presence of Ms Wall's family, prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen's final arguments, followed by defence lawyer Betina Hald Engmark's pleading, conclude 11 days of hearings at the Copenhagen district court that unveiled Madsen's macabre fantasies about violent sex and tortured, decapitated women.

Madsen is a "perverse polymorph" with "psychopathic traits" who has a "high risk" of repeating offences, according to psychiatrists.

He "tried to create the perfect crime", the prosecutor said in his closing remarks, referring to a text message Madsen had sent his girlfriend shortly before.

"There cannot be any doubt about guilt in this case," Mr Jepsen said as he called for life imprisonment, which in Denmark averages 16 years.

Rejecting defence arguments of a lack of physical evidence against Madsen, the prosecutor urged the court members - a professional judge and two jurors - to use "common sense" and find him guilty.

The accused has provided three conflicting explanations to what happened since Wall disappeared on Aug 10 last year and his arrest the following day.

Madsen initially claimed he had dropped Ms Wall off on dry land in Copenhagen on the night of Aug 10, but he later changed his story, claiming that a heavy hatch door had fallen on her head and killed her.

When an autopsy report later revealed no blunt trauma to Ms Wall's skull, he said she died from toxic fumes that filled the vessel after a sudden drop in pressure while he was up on deck.

The prosecution relied on the autopsy, technical findings on the submarine, and explicit content on Madsen's computer to back up its claim that he murdered Ms Wall as part of a sexual fantasy.

Fourteen stab wounds and piercings were also found in her genital area, according to the report.

While the cause of death is not absolutely certain, Ms Wall's lungs have signs of "mechanical asphyxia" caused by suffocation or slitting of the throat.

Several hours before Ms Wall boarded the submarine on Aug 10, he googled the words "beheaded girl agony" - something Madsen says was "pure coincidence".

The court was shown some content found on Madsen's laptop, including downloaded animated and so-called snuff films of women being impaled, hanged and beheaded on his laptop.

"It is not of a sexual nature. This is about strong emotions. I watch these videos to cry and to feel emotions," he previously told the court.

Madsen has insisted he stabbed Ms Wall's genital area to prevent gases from building up inside the body after death, which would have made it float to the water's surface.

A coroner said the injuries were "too superficial" to have this effect.

The defence denounced the prosecution's flaws in proving Madsen's motive and the absolute cause of death.

Under cross-examination, coroner Christina Jacobsen admitted she could not totally exclude the possibility of death by toxic fumes, because of the torso's decomposed state after being submerged for 10 days.

A submarine expert who inspected the Nautilus testified finding no soot in the vessel's air filters, saying that would be the case if Madsen's fumes scenario were true, although another expert called by the defence disagreed.

"The prosecution presented a very interesting story. Some would even say a horror story without facts," Madsen's lawyer said and called on the court to acquit her client on charges of murder and sexual assault.

"I'm really, really sorry for what happened," Madsen told the court.</s>(Reuters) - A Danish court on Wednesday will give its verdict in the trial of inventor Peter Madsen, accused of murdering and dismembering a Swedish journalist aboard his homemade submarine in Copenhagen harbour in last August.

Madsen, 47, has admitted to dismembering the corpse of Kim Wall, who died in the submarine when she was researching a story on the inventor. But he has repeatedly denied murdering her.

Police detained Madsen on August 11 last year when he emerged from his submarine without Wall, 30, with whom he had boarded the submarine the previous day.

Later that month, police identified a torso washed ashore in Copenhagen as Wall’s. Arms, legs and a head determined to be that of the victim were also later retrieved by the authorities.

The prosecutors said Wall died either by strangulation or having her throat cut. Forensics has not been able to confirm nor deny either allegation.

Madsen said he dismembered the body and threw it overboard because he wanted to restore “normal conditions” on board.

He claims Wall died from breathing exhaust gases that had leaked into the submarine due to a technical error while he was on the deck of the vessel preparing to submerge. Forensics has not been able to back up his claim.

The prosecutor wants the maximum penalty of life in prison or a custodial sentence for Madsen. The defence wants a minimum sentence of six months in prison for dismembering the corpse, which would mean the immediate release of Madsen, as he has already been in custody for eight months.

The verdict is expected about 1100 GMT. The prosecution and the defence have two weeks to decide whether to appeal the sentence.</s>A Danish inventor accused of murdering a Swedish journalist on board his submarine planned to "torture and murder her with great pleasure", a court has heard.

The prosecutor in the trial of Peter Madsen, who is accused of killing Kim Wall, 30, during a private submarine trip in August, also said there is a risk he could commit the same kind of crime again.

Jakob Buch-Jepsen said the victim, whose dismembered body was found in the sea, may have been tied with her own stockings before being killed.

He also spoke of straps found on Ms Wall's body parts, in Madsen's workshop and in his submarine, and argued marks on her wrists and ankles showed she was strapped to pipes inside the vessel.

He told Copenhagen City Court that Madsen, 47, should be given a life sentence, which is usually an average of 16 years in Denmark.

However, should Madsen receive a sentence of 16 years or less, Mr Buch-Jepsen called for the defendant to be placed in "forvaring", or safe custody – a sentence with no definite time limit.

He said Madsen, who is accused of either cutting Ms Wall's throat or strangling her, was not insane but "emotionally impaired with severe lack of empathy, anger and guilt".

"It is uncertain whether Peter Madsen murdered Kim Wall by strangulation or cutting of the throat, but there is nothing that sows doubt about whether he killed Kim Wall on purpose," he said.

"There is no doubt that he murdered Kim Wall on purpose and that he had a sexual motive."

The prosecutor also quoted a court-ordered psychiatric report, which described the defendant being intelligent and as someone "with psychopathic tendencies".

Betina Hald Engmark, defending, called the case a "horror story", but said the prosecution details presented were "not based on facts".

"It is not my client's duty to prove that he is innocent. It is the task of the prosecutor to prove that he is guilty," she told the court.

Ms Hald Engmark said there was no doubt Madsen had dismembered Ms Wall's body but said there was a lack of evidence proving he killed her.

The inventor claims Ms Wall’s death was accidental following a pressure problem in his homemade submarine. The prosecution has said forensic experts "found nothing" to support the claim.

Madsen previously admitted to cutting up Ms Wall's body before he "buried her at sea", claiming he could not lift her up the submarine tower in one piece.

Her body was found weeks later contained in plastic bags on the Baltic Sea bed, with her body stabbed multiple times. Her cause of death has not been established.

Bringing Monday's hearing to a close, the judge asked Madsen if he had any last words - to which he replied: "I'm very, very sorry."

A verdict is expected to be returned on Wednesday.</s>It's one of the most gruesome murder cases Denmark — maybe even the world — has ever seen: journalist Kim Wall's body found in pieces sprawled across an ocean bed.

Danish inventor Peter Madsen, who Wall was interviewing for a story about his homemade submarine in Copenhagen, was charged with her murder. Madsen has maintained his innocence since his arrest on Aug. 11, hours after Wall was reported missing.

"We found a bag with Kim Wall's clothing; shirt, skirt, socks and shoes, and also a knife and lead pieces weighing them down," Copenhagen police investigator Jens Moeller Jensen said at the time. "Around noon we found a leg, then another leg, and shortly thereafter we found a head, also in a bag weighted down by several metal pieces."

Madsen, 47, pleaded not guilty in Wall's death, maintaining that it was an accident. During his trial on March 8, he claimed she was inside the submarine and died of carbon monoxide poisoning while he was on deck. He admitted cutting her up before he "buried her at sea."

"I don't see how that mattered at that time, as she was dead," he told the court, according to BBC News.

Madsen is charged with murder, dismemberment and indecent handling of a corpse. If convicted, he faces life in prison, though the BBC notes that typically translates to "15 to 17 years in prison without parole." The case is expected to end on April 25.

Here's a timeline of events that occurred since Wall stepped foot on Madsen's sub.

A prosecutor details grisly parts of Wall's death in the final day of Madsen's trial, claiming the journalist may have been tied with her own stockings before Madsen "impaled her" in what he described as a sexual motive.

Madsen's lawyer called it "a horror story ... but the story is not based on facts. It is based on undocumented claims."

The prosecutor is asking that Madsen be given life in prison — 16 years in Denmark, which could be extended if necessary. Meanwhile, Madsen's attorney is asking for 6 months in prison for cutting up Wall's body.

Madsen, who is accused of either cutting Kim Wall's throat or strangling her on his submarine, took the stand at the Copenhagen City Court.

Again, Madsen denied killing Wall, asserting to prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen he's "never been violent to any human being — and no dead human being either."

Madsen eventually admitted to stabbing Wall after prosecutors revealed multiple stab wounds were found on the recovered body parts. The inventor said he used a sharpened screwdriver to stab the body, insisting they were only done to make sure the parts would sink.

"I put some punctures in the body parts because I didn’t want them to be inflated by gases,” Madsen said, according to the Telegraph. “There is nothing sexual in the fact that the stab holes were in her vagina. I understand why you might think there was, but there was nothing sexual in it for me.”

Madsen said he stabbed her after taking her clothes off, beheading her and placing the head in a plastic bag.



"I wanted to make sure there were no traces in Nautilus, so yes. I am in a condition where I want this accident to go away," Madsen said.

Madsen's murder trial begins in Copenhagen City Court, where he faces two judges and two jurors.

Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen kicked off the 12-day trial by reading the charges against Madsen.

He detailed how Wall's body parts were discovered. And said a psychiatric report concluded Madsen was intelligent "with psychopathic tendencies" who has "no empathy or feelings of guilt."

Madsen himself later took the stand, once again denying that he murdered Wall, according to Sky News.

"What I will tell you today is a grim story that I did not want to tell anyone ever," he said.

Madsen is formally charged with murder, dismemberment and indecent handling of a corpse. He is also charged with having sexual relations with Wall of a "particularly dangerous nature."

Divers find Wall's right arm in the sea south of the Danish capital.

Police say they have found a head, two legs and clothes in plastic bags a day earlier. Dental records help identify Wall.

Police say they found 15 stab wounds on Wall's torso. They also find videos of women being tortured, decapitated and killed on Madsen's computer. The videos are not produced by Madsen.

A prosecutor says in court that Madsen had a computer containing video of the torture and killing of women.

"We think it's video recordings of true killing of women," Buch-Jepsen said, according to a translation in The Ekstra Bladet newspaper, adding some of the videos containing killings done by "decapitation and burning."

A judge later ruled Madsen will continue to sit behind bars until Oct. 31 as police continue to investigate Wall's death.

Madsen claims at a pre-trial hearing that Wall was hit in the head by a 155-pound hatch on the submarine and died from an open skull fracture. He later changes his story when Wall's head is found with no skull fractures.

The court changes the charge against Madsen to manslaughter.

Danish police file another charge against Madsen In addition to a preliminary manslaughter charge in Wall's death, the inventor also faces a charge of indecent handling of a corpse, chief investigator Jens Moeller Jensen announces.

Danish police say the headless torso that washed ashore matches the DNA of Wall.

Wall's naked, headless body is first spotted by a cyclist riding along Amager Island in Copenhagen, Wired reports.

Swedish police assist Danish officials with their search for Wall.

Danish investigators say the sinking of Welden's submarine was a “deliberate act."

Madsen's submarine is raised and put onto land in Copenhagen.

Madsen appears in court for a pre-trial custody hearing. He said her death was an "accident," explaining that a hatch knocked her in the head. He was ordered held for 24 days.

Madsen is rescued by a private motorboat Friday morning in Denmark’s Koge Bay after his submarine sank. He tells police he dropped Wall off before the vessel went down, but she was later reported missing by her boyfriend, which raised suspicion.

Madsen is later detained on involuntary manslaughter charges by Danish police in Wall's death.

Wall skipped her own goodbye party — a celebration of her and her boyfriend, Ole Stobbe's move to Beijing — to meet Madsen aboard his 55-foot UC3 Nautilus submarine with plans to interview him for a story.

Wall texted Stobbe a picture of herself, possibly the last one ever taken, smiling aboard the sub and standing alongside Madsen, whose back is turned.

Fox News' Katherine Lam, Travis Fedschun and The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>The trial of a Danish inventor accused of murdering a journalist aboard his self-built submarine is due to wrap up this week with a verdict due by Wednesday at the earliest.

Peter Madsen, 47 — who is accused of premeditated murder, aggravated sexual assault and desecrating a corpse — has repeatedly changed his version of events since his arrest last August, a day after Swedish freelance journalist Kim Wall boarded his submarine to interview the eccentric self-taught engineer and semi-celebrity.

Madsen has since admitted dismembering Wall, 30, and throwing her body parts into the sea but denies killing her.

Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen and defence lawyer Betina Hald Engmark are due to present their final arguments on Monday, with the judge issuing a verdict no earlier than Wednesday.

The trial at Copenhagen’s district earlier heard evidence that Madsen had more than 40 video clips, including animated and so-called snuff films of women being impaled, hanged and beheaded on his laptop.

The prosecution says Madsen tortured and murdered Wall as part of a sexual fantasy.

It has said it will seek a life sentence, which in Denmark averages around 16 years, or safe custody, a legal alternative which would keep him behind bars indefinitely as long as he is deemed dangerous.

Madsen initially claimed he had dropped Wall off on dry land in Copenhagen on the night of August 10, 2017, but he later changed his story, claiming that a heavy hatch door had fallen on her head and killed her.

When an autopsy report later revealed there was no blunt trauma to Wall’s skull, he said she died after a sudden drop in pressure caused toxic fumes to fill the vessel while he was up on deck.

He has admitted cutting off the journalist’s head, arms and legs, and stuffing the body parts into plastic bags weighed down with metal pipes before tossing them into the sea as he contemplated suicide.

The rest of her remains were recovered over the course of the next few weeks from waters off the Danish capital.

The court heard Madsen had brought a number of objects on board the submarine including a saw, plastic luggage strips and a very long, sharpened screwdriver.

Several hours before Wall boarded the submarine on August 10, he googled “beheaded girl agony” — something Madsen says was “pure coincidence”.

The prosecution also cited a psychiatric evaluation of the accused, which described him as a “perverse polymorph” with “psychopathic traits”.

The court was shown some of the video clips and animated films found on Madsen’s hard drive, in which women were impaled and beheaded.

“It is not of a sexual nature. This is about strong emotions. I watch these videos to cry and to feel emotions,” he told the court.

Madsen has insisted he stabbed Wall’s genital area to prevent gases from building up inside the body after death, which would have made it float to the water’s surface.

The inventor said he didn’t want her body found, to spare her loved ones the details of a gruesome death by toxic fume inhalation.

He was arrested on August 11 after he was rescued at sea as his submarine sank — intentionally downed, according to prosecutors.

The defence has criticised what it has called a lack of physical evidence against Madsen.

Under cross-examination, coroner Christina Jacobsen admitted she could not totally exclude the possibility of death by toxic fumes, because of the torso’s decomposed state after being submerged in water for 10 days.

A submarine expert who inspected the Nautilus testified there was no soot in the vessel’s air filters, saying that would be the case if Madsen’s fumes scenario were true, although another expert called by the defence disagreed.

During Madsen’s psychiatric evaluation, doctors found him to be cold when discussing the victim, and merely “curious” about his upcoming trial.

When they asked him why he dismembered Wall, he replied coolly: “When you’re faced with a big problem, you break it up into parts.”</s>A Danish inventor accused of murdering a Swedish journalist before dismembering her body 'could commit the same kind of crime again', prosecutors have warned.

Lawyer Jakob Buch-Jepsen said Peter Madsen was acting from a sexual motive and may have tied Kim Wall with her own stockings before impaling her, during what he argued was a grisly murder in August last year.

Prosecutors are calling for a life sentence for Madsen, which in Denmark is 16 years with the possibility of extensions, or else want him locked away in a psychiatric unit.

Madsen's defense team admit he dismembered Miss Wall's body but say she died accidentally while riding on his home-built submarine, the Nautilus.

Buch-Jepsen said Madsen, who is accused of cutting Wall's throat or strangling her, is not insane but 'emotionally impaired with severe lack of empathy, anger and guilt.'

He also quoted a court-ordered psychiatric report that described Madsen as an intelligent man 'with psychopathic tendencies.'

Buch-Jepsen rubbished Madsen's claim that Miss Wall died as the result of a pressure problem on board the submarine, saying 'forensic experts have found nothing' to support that.

Madsen, who himself told court that he was "a promiscuous person," has admitted to dismembering Wall's body before he "buried her at sea," saying he could not lift her up the submarine tower in one piece to throw her overboard so he had to cut her up.

The court has previously been told that police found a laptop and hard drives belonging to Madsen that were filled with video depicting disturbing sexual scenes.

On the laptop, officers found animated and real-life films of women being impaled, hanged and beheaded in a sexual context.

On the hard drives were 100 other videos or links to videos which featured murders, torture, beheading and sexually motivated impalements.

Madsen also ran a blog in which he fantasied about stabbing people, according to one witness who testified behind closed doors.

Wall, a 30-year-old freelance journalist, set out on the submarine on Aug. 10 to interview Madsen, the co-founder of a company that develops and builds spacecraft.

Her remains were found in plastic bags on the Baltic Sea bed weeks later. Her torso had been stabbed multiple times.

The cause of Wall's death has not been established. The 12-day trial started March 8, and a verdict is expected Wednesday.
Danish prosecutors seek a life sentence for Peter Madsen, accused of murdering a Swedish journalist on board his self-built submarine. Psychiatric evidence describes Madsen as presenting "psychopathic traits" and a "high risk" of offending further.