Cause of Kim Wall’s death is uncertain

The headless torso of a woman found at sea was identified on Wednesday as a Swedish journalist who likely died aboard a Danish inventor’s homemade submarine, in a grisly case that has gripped the nation.

Danish police confirmed they had made a positive identification of the body, which was found on Monday.

“We have a DNA match between a hairbrush and a toothbrush belonging to Kim Wall and the blood in the submarine and the torso we autopsied yesterday,” Copenhagen homicide chief Jens Moller Jensen told reporters.

Danish inventor Peter Madsen has been accused of the negligent manslaughter of the 30-year-old reporter, who went to interview him aboard his 60-foot submarine on August 10.

The torso, whose head and limbs were deliberately cut off, was found in Koge Bay, about 50 km south of Copenhagen, police say.

The cause of death and motive remain unknown and police are still searching for the remaining body parts, Jensen said, adding that the preliminary charges against Madsen could change after the latest developments. Madsen, who has been in custody since August 12, denies the allegations against him.