Copenhagen Police. How can I help?
Yes, Please send the pictures through to us.
And he saw them together?
May I take your name?
Pernille Rønnebæk.
And it was in the harbour area at 19.10 that you saw them?
Yes, please send any photos to us.
The Investigation
Day 4 14ᵗʰ August 2017
My guys are cataloging and describing each item that we have found.
We could immediately conclude there was human blood in the submarine.
Okay.
How much?
Not, that much. And there is no guarantee that it is her blood.
38,000 litres of salt water has been through the sub, so
finding anything is an achievement in itself.
But you have sent the blood for DNA analysis?
Yes, of course.
We just don't know if it is enough to get a match.
In addition we found a green water hose and some iron bars.
Let's catch up later when we are ready to hand it over to you.
Anna, in your expert opinion - what happened?
Let us finish our job and then it is all yours by the end of the day. Okay?
The phone lines have been glowing all morning with all sorts of info from the public.
Some that state that the accused and the journalist knew each other.
That they were having an affair and well known pair in Copenhagen's S&M scene.
Some say that he has a very active and advanced sex life.
And his closest friends state that he is innocent and it must be a misunderstanding.
And when will the room be ready for us?
Should be ready in couple of hours.
Hi.
Hello.
And then we have received a video taken by a tourist shortly after 8pm.
On it we can see a small motorised boat next to the submarine.
How close?
Close enough to easily go between the two.
And who was in this boat?
We don’t know.
The video is taken around 100 metres away from a ferry, so we can't see who it is.
Did anyone board the submarine?
Was it not just the two of them, then?
Or she got off and she was not on-board when the sub sank.
It's Jens.
Yes.
I have no comment at this time.
Mmmm
Yes, you will be the first to know.
You probably all know Jakob Buch, our Special Prosecutor.
He's not here to interfere in our work, but to tell us about his.
Over to you, Jakob.
Yes. Thank you.
As most of you know, the suspect was remanded in custody for
4 weeks on Saturday on the grounds of Negligent Homicide.
He may appeal that, but you should have at least 4 weeks to make progress in the case.
I neither can nor want to interfere in the
investigation, but I need to highlight the importance
of finding sufficient evidence of intention so
we can have him locked up for the right reason.
Now there are many possibilities and theories.
Maybe they knew each other already.
Maybe they had an affair.
Maybe the hatch did kill her or maybe something completely different.
All of these are theories and as you know there
is a big difference between facts and theory.
A theory is something we cannot prove.
Facts are something we can prove.
And if we are talking about murder, then I need to be able to prove it.
Otherwise he walks.
It's that simple.
I thought you would not interfere in our work?
I am not, but the quality of my work is totally depending on the quality of your work.
So - all hands on deck.
Thank you.
Thanks.
A person can die in one of 4 ways: - Natural Death, Accident, Suicide or Murder.
The accused claims it was an accident.
We believe it was murder.
So these are the two possibilities we are faced with.
Therefore.
Murder.
Accident.
We know from CCTV, photos and witnesses that the submarine sails off at around 19.00.
We know that she sent a text message to her boyfriend at 20.25.
And she writes: 'still alive, btw (that means By the Way) going down now. i love you.'
You gotta ask if there are signs there that she is afraid of something.
It doesn't really seem so.
She was a journalist so she is used to work in different situations.
And on all the pictures we have from the departure she is happy and smiling.
So
Text message to the boyfriend at 20.25.
Thereafter we have a black hole.
Until the submarine is seen next morning at 10.00 and then suddenly it sinks at 10.22.
And the accused is rescued on-board a small boat and
taken to Dragør Harbour and brought into our custody.
So, what happened in those 14 hours, between 8.25pm and 10.22am?
Yes?
I'm trying to find out who keeps tabs on the sea traffic in Øresund.
And if this is stored and of good enough
quality to see the movements of the submarine.
And it looks like I need to go over to Malmö to get this info.
So, I'll have to report on that later.
Musa?
As part of the questioning of the accused,
I came across an article in a Sunday paper.
Our accused makes a statement.
He says:
I hope to get famous for a criminal act.
Not robbing a bank - Shit no. No one should be hurt.
Secretly I want to build a gigantic fireballoon and fly it over Copenhagen.
With a fleet of police cars following me below.
The balloon will land in-between the spires on Roskilde
Cathedral while the police wait to capture me.
And then he says, and I quote:
I don't know if it is exactly this that will happen
but I sure want to make a 'Gigantic Happening.'
Then we apparently have the third possibility.
Yes.
Uhhh, Maibritt?
Yes?
The small boat that was next to the submarine.
We need to find who was sailing it.
Okay.
Happening!
Could she have gone over to the small boat?
And sat there hiding while she wrote an article about being a victim of a crime.
That would be a bit of a 'happening!'
But one where no one got hurt.
This is Maibritt Porse from Copenhagen Police.
I'm calling as we are looking for the owner of a small
motorboat in relation to a case we are investigating.
Oh, I don't know exactly, but we think it is around 24 feet.
Yes.
I understand. But I thought you could maybe forward a e-mail to
your members and ask them to contact us if they know anything.
Fantastic.
What's your e-mail?
Yes.
and... is it - dot com?
ah, DK.
Okay.
Thank you.
I will be in touch.
Bye.
Any news?
No, not yet.
But I am calling all sailing clubs within 45km, also on
the Swedish side and ask them to contact their members.
We wait and see.
Musa went to pick up a young man who works at the accused workshop.
I would like you to question him.
Okay.
We have also made contact with one of his girlfriends.
Maybe one of them knows something.
Musa has prepared room #5.
Imagine if it's all just a 'happening.'
Do you know why you are here?
Yes.
Good.
Then let's get straight to the point.
How long have you known him?
For...2 years.
What do you do when you are together?
All sorts...
I mean, I help him in the workshop.
He's always got some crazy stuff going on.
Like what?
Well... nothing dangerous.
Just....
ummmm well...
I cannot possibly imagine that he's done anything to this woman.
No, but we are just simply trying to find out what's happened.
We..we talk a lot about the war and...
sometimes we just speak German to each other.
Have you ever seen him angry or aggressive?
Well.. he has a temper, right?
But...
That's required to achieve anything in this world, eh?
Mmmm
What else did you talk about?
We....we just talk a lot.
About what?
Well...
Our future plans... and fantasies... and
What sort of fantasies?
I don't know.
It's not....
anything specific.
When will you let him go?
He's been placed in 4 weeks detention.
But that's decided by the judge.
But...
You don't seriously think he's killed her?
The only thing I think, is that you are not telling us everything.
What do you mean?
What exactly did you talk about?
Exactly what fantasies?
We talked a lot... about 2ⁿᵈ World War
and projects for the workshop
and...
historical persons
perfect crimes
hot air balloons.
We are both fascinated by this.
The accused has explained he threw the body in the sea between
Falsterbro in Sweden and Vedøre and there are some 35km between the two.
For each specified area we set 4 buoy's and create a square on the seabed.
Bottom up to the buoy is called a 'stage.'
20m by 200m.
3 divers together swim from side to side
and search to seabed to ensure we don't miss anything.
Once a 'stage' is fully searched, we move the buoy's and create a new 'stage'
And we carry on and on and on, square after square after square.
I fully understand this is not simple, but...
If we can't narrow it down more, then it could take a
hell of long time to go through the whole Øresund.
This is Jens.
Yes, you can write that we have helicopters
in the air and dogs all along the coastline.
Yes, and also divers in the sea.
No, that's not possible right now.
No... I promise you will be the first to know.
hmmm?
Okay. Good.
We need to get going.
We won't find anything hanging around here.
- Hello Jens. - Hello Joachim.
Hello.
I...I would like to go through Kim's computer,
so I have asked Swedish police to pick it up.
What for?
Just to see if there is anything there that can help us.
Like what?
Like for example... e-mails, or photos, Facebook messages. Maybe they knew each other.
No, they didn't. No. No..
Isn't it important that we confirm that?
Right, but.. Do you have a warrant?
No... no We don't.
I'm not sure we can just let you go through her stuff.
Uhh. I don't get it. Why not?
Because Kim is a journalist, Jens.
Yes?
There will be info on lot of people that...
could end up in danger and need protection.
There are women that risk their lives for their beliefs.
And they trust her confidentiality.
Joachim. We are only interested in something linked to the case.
Yes, but if we just hand over her computer and passwords then we have
no guarantee that you or someone else don't also read all the rest.
No, no. I need to speak to Ingrid first.
How would you describe your relationship?
Uhhh... as a good relationship!
Yes?
Yes.
Are you friends? or in relationship? or..
No, we are friends.
and...
then..also a bit...
also a bit?
Yes.
So, you sleep together?
- Yes. - Right.
Well...
Yes.
Has he ever been violent or aggressive towards you?
No.
Well, unless we agree on it upfront.
And it is part of the game.
Right.
Okay.
Uhhh... and then we went sometimes to S&M and Fetish parties.
But it was difficult to get him to do anything.
Because he is very polite.
And very careful.
Have you ever met the Swedish journalist?
[shaking head]
Has he talked about her?
No, never.
- No? - No.
Okay.
Have you been into the submarine?
[nodding head]
Have you sailed in it?
Yes.
Did you have sex in it?
[nodding head]
Many times?
No, just once.
How was it?
Uhh...what do you mean?
I mean was it S&M stuff or normal sex?
No. it was just normal sex. It was just...
Yes it was, I think.
Loving.
Listen now.
He is not a monster.
He really isn't.
Of course I don't know what happened, but I'm sure he didn't do anything wrong.
I'm sure of it.
Hi.
Hello.
Hi.
I've asked Jakob to join us.
So he can get a picture of where we are at.
Where is Musa?
He went out to the submarine.
Have forensics finished with it?
No.
But he couldn't wait any longer.
Right.
Nikolaj?
Yes. I have created a time-line where I have highlighted facts.
and.... what we don't know. So we are up to date here.
Unfortunately I have not yet been able to chart the route the submarine took.
The radar control has either been wiped or is not detailed enough.
Any help from Malmö?
I am still waiting for them to come back.
What about you?
- Anything new? - Yes.
So far no luck in finding the small boat, but we have
questioned some people and it is clear that the accused was
fascinated by the thought of committing the perfect crime
and that he had a sex life pushing all normal boundaries.
And then there are the rumours that they knew each other beforehand.
And what do these rumours say?
Many that say they know someone who has seen them kissing at a bar in Christianshavn.
Or that they have been together to sex parties.
However, nothing that has been confirmed first hand.
But we've had a tip from a woman, that heard that a doctor
from Ryde hospital had seen them kissing in Christianshavn.
A doctor?
Yes, a Lennart Stauner.
Have we spoken to him?
No, but I have set up a meeting with him later.
If he confirms their relationship, then we need to re-look at jealousy as a motive.
Yeah.
Or someone is taking us for a ride.
When was it exactly that the little boat was next to the sub?
At 20.15.
So, it was before she sent the text message.
Nikolaj, let's add that to the time-line.
Yes, sure.
This is Jens.
And where did you hear that?
What was the name? Lennart..
Lennart Stauner.
Are you planning to put that out?
No, we definitely have no comment to that.
What was that?
The press has apparently also heard that they had an affair.
One of the papers are thinking to make it a headline.
They say it will take at least one more hour.
Why don't you go home and start over tomorrow?
Its getting late.
What do I do at home?
Sleep.
I haven't been waiting all weekend for this and then just go home now to sleep.
Okay.
We have investigated various aspects of the case, but I can't go into details.
But we are still missing the body.
We fully assume that we are looking for a body.
And that we do primarily in the sea around Køge.
Both on the Danish and the Swedish side.
Nero!
Come.
It's Jens Møller.
Hello, this is the News Channel, I wanted to ask if you would
come in and talk to us about the latest in the submarine-case.
The submarine-case?
Is that what you call it?
Something that the tabloids seem to have done.
It's much too early to say anything at this point. But I do
promise you will be the first to know when there are any news.
Is that okay?
Yes, I look forward to hear from you.
Good. Thanks.
Hi Musa.
What's up?
Okay. I'm on the way up.
Panties and tights.
Where were they?
In the bottom of the submarine under a drain.
How have they ended up there?
They think they were was placed there.
So, they didn't wash down there when the sub was emptied?
They don't think so, but it cannot be excluded.
Why on earth would she put them there?
Are they hers?
Maybe?
They have been brought to forensics for DNA analysis.
Thank you.
This is Maibritt.
She is part of the investigation team.
- Hello. - Hello.
I understand there are some things you don't want us to see?
No, nothing you can't see. But some things you can't copy.
Our daughter is a journalist and there are many that trust in her confidentiality.
It's really about protecting her sources.
Yes, of course. My apologies.
Well, Maibritt will liaise and work with you on this.
Shall we start?
- Yes. - Yes.
Everything should be here.
All these photos are from The Marshall Islands.
The Americans did 67 Atomic bomb tests there
between 1946 and 1958, if I am not mistaken.
Kim along with two colleagues went there to write series of articles about it.
That's, where these pictures are from.
The poor children didn't understand any of it.
They said there were two sunrises. One in the east and one in the west.
And then it suddenly snowed.
They had never seen snow before. They were so
happy that they rushed out and played in it.
But of course it wasn't snow.
It was radioactive ash.
It lies in the middle of the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Australia.
Right in between actually.
It's like a ticking bomb.
And even if the US did a big cleanup in 1978..
There it is. But they just removed the radioactive
stuff and covered it in this concrete capsule.
But the fact is
that the plutonium has a half-life time of 24,000 years.
It is just a matter of time before the concrete shell
breaks and all the radioactive material goes into the sea.
Well, yes. She won numerous awards...
for that story.
Even though everything points to that they didn't know each other,
I still would like to discuss something with you.
One of the newspapers called me
and they are considering to print a story, that
is based purely on rumours.
What kind of rumours?
That Kim and the accused did indeed know each other.
And that they were having an affair.
I'm very sorry to have to bring this up.
It is likely that this story will be the headlines tomorrow.
And I wanted that you learned about it beforehand.
Good God!
But it isn't true. What sort of journalists are they?
Hi.
How's it going?
Good.
I've never worked a murder case, that I could
just leave in the office when I went home.
- Maibritt? - Yes.
I don't know how it is in the Police, but here
we don't have time for this kind of stuff.
I can give you 5 minutes.
That's fine.
We can can go this way.
I don’t know what you are on about. Are you sure you have the right person?
Yes, I am sure.
Well....what is it, I am meant to have said?
You said that you saw the two kissing at a Cafe down in Christianshavn.
Why would I lie about it?
To make yourself important?
If there is nothing else...
There is.
Pernille Rønnebæk.
Does that name ring any bells?
Yes. Why?
She is the one who called us and said that you two had sat next to
each other at a dinner and you stated that you had seen them together.
In Christianshavn.
If it isn't true, then I best go back to her and ask why she is lying to us.
Yes, maybe it is true.
Very good.
When was it you saw them together?
Well, I didn’t actually.
- What do you mean? - I didn't see them together.
So, you were lying?
I heard it somewhere, but said it like it had been me that saw them.
Okay!
Who did you hear it from?
Well, that I can't remember.
I don't know about you, but in the Police we don't have time for this kind of stuff.
And I don't think the victim’s family has either?
Day 6 16ᵗʰ August 2017
- Hello. - Hi.
Uhh.. I need to speak to the Head of Serious Crimes.
I'll see if he is available.
Here you go.
Sorry, we only have water. Coffee is not ready.
Thanks.
Uhh...Well...
I came because I've heard that you...
have been looking for my boat in relation to the
Swedish journalist and the submarine and all that.
Yes. Correct.
I don’t know if I need to have my lawyer here.
I don't know.
What were you doing at the submarine?
Nothing.
Right.
You just confirmed that it was your boat next to the submarine, right?
Yes.
It was maybe not you on it?
Yes, it was. But...
I was never ever up against the submarine
uhhh....
We were maybe 4 or 5 metres away.
OK, trying to find it...
Right...
My son was fascinated by the submarine and we took this photo.
That was all.
I was all up in arms when I read about it.
Maybe that you would think I was involved. But I am not.
So you don't know anything about the submarine and the journalist?
No. Only what has been written..
Well...
We spoke to them for no more than couple of minutes.
And that was that.
Yes. Okay.
Many thanks for coming in to see us.
So we could clarify this.
I'll see you out.
- I can go? - Yes, sure.
We'll just pop in to IT, so they can get a copy of the photo.
Yes, no problem.
Hi, you have called Cecilie. I can't take your call, so please leave a message. Bye.
So, you are here?
Yes.
How is it going?
Are you making progress?
Yes... or...
Everytime we think we have found something it turns out to be nothing.
How about you?
Me?
I'm fine.
Did you speak to Cecilie?
What if she is angry at me?
She is.
She tells you that she is pregnant and you just left.
Day 11 21ˢᵗ August 2017
We need to become more targeted in our search.
Who can say for sure that the body hasn't washed all the way to Poland?
No, one can say for sure.
Put a hand over one eye...
and imagine looking through a paper roll with the other
and then look for a needle on a football pitch.
That is what I am asking of my people.
Everyday, Jens.
From sunrise to sunset.
Down to 12 metres depth.
I've just heard from forensics.
Unfortunately they have not found any DNA traces on the panties or tights.
And what about the divers or the helicopters? Nothing from them?
Nope.
Some Swedes believe they may have found some of
her clothes. But it really could be anyone’s.
It's Jens.
No, I have no comment to that.
But I promise, you will be the first one to know. Okay?
Thanks.
We basically have nothing.
- Also there. - Hmmm
And there or what?
- Not the same. - No, no. I would agree.
It's Nikolaj Storm.
Look at that again.
When?
Yes.
Sure.
We're on our way.
It's Jens.
Jens, it's Nikolaj.
Are you on the way home?
Yes.
You best turn around.
Why is that?
Because the torso of a dead woman has just washed on shore in Amager.