Peter Madsen

In 2020 Madsen married 39-year old Russian opposition activist Jenny Kurpen. Kurpen has had political asylum in Finland since 2013, because of her persecution in Russia. In a post on Facebook, Kurpen said that she received death threats after her marriage was made public.

On January 24th 2020 a new Danish documentary: Into The Deep premiered at the Sundance Festival in Utah, US. The 90 minute documentary is directed by Australian-born Emma Sullivan and chronicles Peter Madsen and a group of volunteers helping him with his projects - before, during and after the murder of Kim Wall. Variety called the documentary "riveting". Marie Claire called it "gripping" and a "must-watch".

In January 2018 Madsen was charged with murder, indecent handling of a corpse (due to dismemberment), and sexual assault (due to stabbings in genital region). The prosecution accused him of having bound, hit, cut and stabbed Wall before killing her by cutting her throat or strangling her.

Madsen's trial began on 8 March 2018 with him pleading not guilty to Wall's murder. On 25 April 2018 Madsen was found guilty of all charges, and sentenced to life imprisonment. A psychiatric evaluation of Madsen described him as a narcissistic psychopath, lacking in empathy but not psychotic or delusional.

Madsen immediately appealed the sentence but not the guilty verdict. On 26 September 2018, the Østre Landsret (High Court of Eastern Denmark) upheld the sentence.

On 11 August 2017, Madsen was arrested after the sinking of UC3 Nautilus and the disappearance of Kim Wall, a Swedish journalist who had last been seen alive aboard the submarine.

During a hearing on 5 September, Madsen stated that Wall had been killed when he lost his grip on the submarine's hatch cover, which he was holding open for her, and it hit her on the head, causing her skull to fracture. On 7 October 2017 Royal Danish Navy divers assisting the police found Wall's head and legs, along with a knife and pieces of her clothing, in bags at the bottom of Køge Bay, weighted down by bits of metal. A police spokesperson reported that there were no fractures to Wall's skull.

A post-mortem examination of the torso found "knife wounds to her genitals and ribcage", believed to have been caused "around or shortly after her death". On 30 October 2017 it was reported that Madsen had changed his account of Wall's death and admitted dismembering her body.

In June 2014, Madsen established RML Spacelab ApS. The goal was the development and construction of a crewed spacecraft. From 2016, RML was developing a nano satellite launch vehicle using venture investments. Under the title Raket-Madsens Rumlaboratorium (Danish for 'Rocket-Madsen's Space Laboratory' ) Madsen has blogged about his activities on the web-site of the Danish news magazine Ingeniøren. Madsen became CEO of the company.

Madsen was married at Copenhagen City Hall in November 2011. His wife had worked in the film industry and had also helped in Madsen's workshop at Refshaleøen, Copenhagen. In February 2018 it was reported that his wife had abandoned him. Madsen himself explained that he had lived in an "open relationship". His wife has chosen to remain anonymous and her identity has not been released by the media.

Madsen built three submarines: UC1 Freya, UC2 Kraka and UC3 Nautilus. The Nautilus was a privately built midget submarine, launched on 3 May 2008 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Constructed over three years, it cost approximately US$200,000 to build (1.5 million DKK).

On 1 May 2008, Madsen co-founded Copenhagen Suborbitals. In June 2014, he left the project. Madsen was responsible for the launch system, launchpad and booster rocket engines.

While attending primary and secondary school in Høng, Madsen developed an interest in rocket fuel with the help of chemistry and physics teacher Johannes Fischer. He developed his first large rocket at Høng and launched it on 3 March 1986. It was one meter tall, modelled after the American ICBM MX Peacekeeper and built in his father's workshop. It reached a height of 100 m (330 ft) before crashing without harming anyone. In 1987, Madsen was accepted at the gymnasium (upper secondary school) in the nearby town of Kalundborg. He moved to live in a youth house in the town. His father died in 1990 when Peter was 18.

Peter Langkjær Madsen (Danish: [ˈpʰe̝ˀtɐ ˈlɑŋˌkʰeˀɐ̯ ˈmæsn̩] ; born 12 January 1971) is a Danish convicted murderer. In April 2018 he was convicted of the 2017 murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall on board his submarine, UC3 Nautilus, and sentenced to life imprisonment. He had previously been an engineer and entrepreneur.

Madsen was born in 1971 to Annie and Carl Madsen. He lived his first years in Sæby and Høng (both in Kalundborg Municipality), Denmark. Annie was more than 30 years younger than Carl and had three other boys from two previous men. Carl was allegedly abusive toward his three stepsons. Annie left when Peter was 6, taking the children with her. After a couple of years, Madsen returned to his father, with whom he shared an interest in rockets.