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Submarine owner suspected of murder faces custody hearing

FILE - This is a April 30 2008 file photo of submarine owner Peter Madsen . Denmark's navy says that Madsen's privately built submarine that had been feared missing in Danish waters has been found and the crew is safe. The navy says that the 40-ton, nearly 18-meter-long (60-foot-long) submarine with at least two people on board had been "found sailing" south of Copenhagen. (Niels Hougaard /Ritzau. File via AP) FILE - This is a April 30 2008 file photo of submarine owner Peter Madsen . Denmark's navy says that Madsen's privately built submarine that had been feared missing in Danish waters has been found and the crew is safe. The navy says that the 40-ton, nearly 18-meter-long (60-foot-long) submarine with at least two people on board had been "found sailing" south of Copenhagen. (Niels Hougaard /Ritzau. File via AP)

By Associated Press August 12, 2017 1 min read

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) – A judge is set to decide if the owner of an amateur-built submarine should be held in custody during an investigation into whether he is responsible for the disappearance of a Swedish woman who had been onboard his submarine that sank off Denmark’s east coast.

Peter Madsen was arrested Friday on preliminary manslaughter charges after his 40-ton, nearly 18-meter-long (60-foot-long) UC3 Nautilus sank. He has denied responsibility for the 30-year-old woman’s fate, saying she disembarked earlier.

The woman’s boyfriend alerted authorities that the sub had not returned, prompting a major maritime search. The Navy said it was spotted sailing but then sank.

Madsen told authorities he dropped the woman off on an island in Copenhagen’s harbor a few hours into their Thursday night trip.

The hearing starts at 1200 GMT.