Kim Wall: Headless body found in Copenhagen waterside is missing journalist, Danish police say

Police confirm DNA match on Twitter

A Swedish Sea Rescue Society unit searches for missing Swedish journalist Kim Wall at Lundakra Bay between Barseback and Landskrona (TT News Agency/Reuters)

Danish police have identified a headless female torso found in the Copenhagen waterside as that of Swedish journalist Kim Wall, who police believe was killed on a home-made submarine.

"DNA match between torso and Kim Wall," the police said on Twitter, declining to comment further until a press briefing at 0700 GMT.

Danish inventor Peter Madsen, charged with killing Wall on his home-made submarine, told the court she had died in an accident and that he "buried" her at sea, changing his previous statement that he dropped her off alive in Copenhagen.

The body was found on Monday by a passing cyclist and police said then it was too early to identify the body which was missing its head, legs and arms.

The case has been followed closely by Danish and Swedish media and has drawn interest from around the world.

Madsen has been charged with manslaughter of Wall who has been missing since he took her out to sea in his 17-metre submarine on August 10. He denies the charge.

Swedish journalist Kim Wall (Tom Wall/AP) (AP)

He was rescued a day after his UC3 Nautilus sank. Police found nobody else on the vessel.

Danish and Swedish maritime authorities used divers, sonar and helicopters in the search for the body in Koge Bay, south of the city, and in the Oresund Strait between the two countries.

Madsen, an entrepreneur, artist, submarine builder and aerospace engineer, appeared before a judge on August 12 for preliminary questioning. The case is not open to the public to protect further investigations, police said.