What is the episode about?
Emilie Anine Skovgaard Meng disappeared in the early morning hours of July 10, 2016, after a night out with her friends in Slagelse. This episode of Danish Murder Cases outlines the fateful hours at Korsør Station, where the 17-year-old girl was last seen alive, and the subsequent investigation that stretched over eight years. The podcast reviews the technical evidence and police work that led to the arrest of 32-year-old Philip Patrick Westh in April 2023. The episode highlights how modern DNA technology and an intensified effort finally provided answers to the relatives and the Danish public.
The case behind the episode
The case of Emilie Meng is one of the most talked-about criminal cases in recent Danish history. After her disappearance in 2016, a massive search effort was launched involving both police and thousands of volunteers from the organization Missing People. Her body was not found until Christmas Eve, December 24, 2016, in a lake near Regnemarks Bakke close to Borup. An autopsy later determined that she had been strangled. Philip Patrick Westh , who worked as a marketing manager, only became a central suspect many years later in connection with another case in Kirkerup. During a search of his residence, police found crucial evidence that linked him directly to the murder of Emilie Meng. In June 2024, the Court in Næstved delivered a verdict in the case, where Westh was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Meng, as well as for the abduction and rape of a 13-year-old girl and attempted abduction of a 15-year-old girl in Sorø.
About the podcast
The podcast Danish Murder Cases is known for its factual and detail-oriented examination of the most high-profile Danish criminal cases. The editorial team behind the program often uses court documents, police reports, and interviews with experts to provide listeners with an in-depth understanding of both the crimes and the legal aftermath. This episode particularly focuses on the technical challenges the police faced in 2016, including the degraded DNA traces that could only be used for a final identification of the perpetrator years later.