‘Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case’: All of the Evidence That Convicted Peter Madsen of Murdering Journalist Kim Wall
Netflix’s new true crime documentary, Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case, tells the story of inventor Peter Madsen. Here’s a breakdown of the evidence that convicted Madsen of murdering journalist Kim Wall.
‘Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case’ follows Peter Madsen in the months leading up to Kim Wall’s murder
Australian writer/director Emma Sullivan started filming a documentary about Madsen in 2016 after seeing him do a TED Talk. The Danish entrepreneur had built three submarines, including the UC3 Nautilus. He was in the process of building a homemade rocket that would launch him into space.
Sullivan filmed Madsen and his team for nearly a year leading up to the murder of Wall. Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case, directed by Sullivan, features footage from before and after the murder.
This includes an interview of Madsen on the day he took Wall out in his submarine to torture and kill her. Her footage was used to convict Madsen, who is currently serving life in prison. “This is a very personal story to me,” Sullivan said via Netflix. “When I started this project, I met a group of people who wanted to be part of something positive with someone they admired at the helm. But then the unbearable happened.”
“When you are suddenly pulled into such a nightmare, it changes your life forever,” she added. “The film is a testimony of the people who were close to Madsen as they slowly grasp the true nature of the man and the terrible crimes he committed.”
The evidence that convicted Peter Madsen of Kim Wall’s murder
As seen in Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case, Madsen texted his friend “Sarah” — her name was changed, and her face was digitally altered for her safety — and joked about tieing her up in the submarine and killing her. He invited her for a ride on August 10, 2017, but ended up going with Wall, who wanted to interview him for a Wired piece.
Sarah’s texts played a crucial role in proving the murder was premeditated. They also suggest he may not have had a specific target, and was planning to kill the next woman to board his submarine.
When investigators searched Madsen’s computer, they found disturbing videos of women being raped, tortured, and killed. In court, prosecutors presented these videos as evidence and suggested Madsen had a fetish for brutality.
When Madsen was found on the UC3 alone on Aug. 11, 2017, he denied knowing Wall. He then claimed that he dropped her off on land and didn’t know where she was. But when her dismembered body was found in the water, he changed his story again. He tried to convince authorities that her death was accidental and that he disposed of her body because he panicked.
During Madsen’s trial, prosecutors revealed how Wall’s body was cut and mutilated. And they suggested she was tortured and sexually assaulted before Madsen killed her.
Emma Sullivan’s footage seen in ‘Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder’ played a crucial role in convicting Peter Madsen
Some of the most damning evidence in Madsen’s case comes from Sullivan’s footage featured Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case. In one interview, the wannabe engineer talks about being a “psychopath” and calls himself a “human predator.”
The Netflix documentary also includes footage that reveals Madsen’s timeline and certain weapons he likely used. A hacksaw seen in the lab just before the murder is missing the day after. And he was seen wielding a metal pipe just hours before going out on the submarine with Wall.
Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case is currently streaming on Netflix.
