Lutheran pastor from Denmark admits murder of his wife

The pastor has been in custody for the murder since November. Until now, he pleaded not guilty during court hearings, but this changed. Maria was his wife and the mother of two of his children.

Maria From Jakobsen was reported missing in mid-October. Initially, she was wanted by police as someone who had left home in a depressed state. But after a few weeks, the nature of the case changed.

Police trooped up to the couple's address on Nialsvej in Frederikssund and at their holiday home in Nykøbing Sjælland. Thomas Gotthard was arrested and subsequently remanded in custody.

The case has been particular because the body of Maria From Jakobsen has not been found. Police believe Thomas Gotthard has disposed of the body.

The police want to know whether anyone has seen the priest in possession of a blue feed barrel. There is suspicion that he used the barrel in connection with the disposal of the body.

New findings

The police said last week that they had made new findings related to the case. The finds were made at Sundbylille, near Frederikssund.

The police in Nordsjælland have not provided further information on the nature of the findings - only that they should investigate further.

In April, the prosecution prosecuted Thomas Gotthard. And the case was scheduled to have been heard by the Court in Hillerød from Oct. 25 onwards.

However, now that there is an acknowledgement, the case may be treated as a confession case. Confession cases are typically completed in a single day.

Computer search

It was already clear that the 44-year old priest had been searching on the internet for “sea depth,” “disappeared”, and “oil barrels”, according to the police, who investigated the couple’s computer.

Gotthard had claimed that his wife, a 43-year-old psychologist, was depressed when she vanished from the couple’s home in Frederikssund on Oct. 26.

She had left her phone, computer and credit cards behind, police said.

When she didn’t show up to one of her two kids’ birthday party three days later, her sister reported her missing.

Investigators later found hydrochloric acid and caustic soda in the couple’s home. And on the computer, the police found traces of internets searches for terms such as “sea depth,” “oil barrels,” “suicide,” “disappeared”, and “cleaning.”

Surveillance footage from Nov. 6 at a recycling station showed Gotthard moving a large barrel on a hand truck, according to an earlier report by the New York Post.

Investigators carried out extensive searches, including with trained dogs, but have been unable to locate the missing woman.

Three weeks after his wife’s disappearance, the priest was arrested in connection to the case.