Kim Wall's Murder (07:44)

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Danish inventor Peter Madsen's trial for killing the Swedish journalist captured national attention. The violent details and Nordic noir elements made it a popular media topic. Madsen's celebrity often overshadowed Wall's death.

Madsen's Trial (04:15)

Madsen's biographer Thomas Djursing felt ashamed for writing positively about Madsen. Numerous journalists were in the courtroom live Tweeting the proceedings. Prosecutors showed that Madsen had planned to murder and dismember Wall.

Madsen's Explanation (04:14)

Madsen changed his story at trial, saying Wall died of carbon monoxide poisoning. It did not match the evidence the Danish Royal Navy discovered. Djursing believed Madsen's narcissism made him overconfident.

Madsen's Motive (07:08)

The Danish public struggled to understand why Madsen killed and dismembered Wall. Djursing wrote Madsen asking him to explain. His response was manipulative but revealed a hatred of women.

Madsen's Treatment of Women (06:55)

Many believed Madsen hated women and viewed them as playthings. Numerous women testified about how Madsen mistreated them, but others talked about how he respected boundaries at bondage clubs and was never violent.

Madsen's Violence (03:03)

Courtroom evidence showed Madsen was looking to experiment with sexual violence and torture leading up to Wall's murder. Violent sexual videos were found on his computer. He had watched many of them the day before the murder.

Wall's Journalistic Risk (04:23)

Before Wall, Madsen had contacted other women about going on the submarine. They all had reasons to say no but Wall was doing her job and had been in numerous dangerous situations before for work.

Madsen's Psychiatric Evaluation (06:04)

Madsen was deemed to have narcissistic and psychopathic tendencies; tendencies were also visible in his business life. The evaluation stated that Madsen might murder again, which put into question whether he had killed anyone before Wall.

Madsen's Logic (04:05)

Madsen wrote a letter to Djursing, explaining his reasoning for Wall's death. Djursing tried to make sense of it based on Madsen's views of heaven and hell. The letter and a blogpost revealed that killing Wall was a deliberate choice Madsen made.

Madsen's Sentence (03:34)

Madsen was found guilty and received life in prison, a rare sentence in Denmark. Madsen's lack of remorse and empathy influenced the judge's decision.

Madsen's Escape (02:41)

Madsen built a weapon and escaped from prison in October 2020. Djursing believed he did it for attention.

Remembering Wall (06:53)

Wall's friends and family want to preserve her life and work away from the tragedy of her death. Wall's family created the Kim Wall Memorial Fund, which supports women journalists.

Credits: Part 2: The Punishment (Undercurrent: The Disappearance of Kim Wall (02:06)

Credits: Part 2: The Punishment (Undercurrent: The Disappearance of Kim Wall