Isabella Mueller (crime writer)
The body of a young woman was dismembered into an incredible 231 body parts. She was 22-year-old nurse Mia Skadhauge Stevn, who disappeared on February 6, 2002, after visiting a club in the Danish city of Aalborg. Her remains were found buried in a forest a week later. Surveillance camera footage showed Mia getting into a black VW Golf with a man at around 6:09 a.m., which proved to be her undoing. The man turned out to be 37-year-old electrician Thomas Thomsen, who told investigators a hair-raising story during police questioning. He had driven with Mia to the forest near Hammer Bakker to have sex with her. Both had gotten out of the car, where Mia allegedly stumbled and strangled herself with her handbag. Thomas then put Mia’s body in his trunk. He then dismembered it using an electric saw, a knife, and scissors. This process took several days. When Thomas wasn’t busy dismembering the body, he went to work or enjoyed eating pizza he had ordered from a delivery service. He then poured lye over the body parts and buried them in the woods. The investigators were certain that Thomas had strangled Mia. However, because the body parts had been doused with caustic soda after being dismembered and the 3rd and 7th cervical vertebrae, which could have provided clear evidence of strangulation, were missing, the forensic pathologists were unable to prove beyond doubt that Mia had been strangled. Thomas was brought to trial for the murder and rape of Mia. During the trial, prosecutor Mette Bendix repeatedly asked him why he had not called 911 if Mia had accidentally strangled herself without any outside influence. Thomas resorted to flimsy excuses. He claimed that he had left his cell phone in the car or that he was simply too stressed to think clearly. The court did not believe Thomas, especially since the idea of accidentally strangling oneself sounded truly preposterous. Thomas Thomsen was found guilty of murder and attempted rape. Based on a forensic medical report, preventive detention was recommended.
