DNA Breakthrough Solves Brutal 1990 Copenhagen Murder After 34 Years
How advances in forensic technology finally brought a killer to justice in one of Scandinavia's cold cases
The case of Hanne With became one of Copenhagen's most haunting unsolved murders—a young woman brutally killed in the early hours of 1990, her case gathering dust in police archives for more than three decades. Now, in a landmark moment for Scandinavian cold case investigations, forensic technology has finally delivered justice.
On January 1, 1990, the 23-year-old was found dead in her apartment on Fensmarkgade in the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen, a working-class neighborhood in the Danish capital. She had suffered multiple stab wounds to her neck, jaw, and throat, inflicted with various blades—including a knife, screwdriver, and scissors. The attacker had also beaten and kicked her repeatedly, and ultimately strangled her, likely using an antenna cable. The brutality of the crime underscored its personal nature, yet investigators were left with few leads.
For more than three decades, the case remained frozen. Despite efforts by Copenhagen Police, no suspect emerged. The murder investigation became emblematic of the limitations of 1990s forensic science, when DNA profiling was still in its infancy and could languish indefinitely without technological breakthroughs.
