Palle Sorensen

Murderer

4known / alleged victims

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Case Facts

Gender: male
Country: Denmark
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Date of birth: March 26, 1927
Age at first offence: 38
Characteristics: bank robbery, escape
Victim profile: Aksel Dybdahl Andersen / Henning Skov Hansen / Gert Sondergaart Harkjaert / Elmer Gert Jeppesen (police officers)
Method of murder: Shooting
Date(s) of murder: September 18, 1965
Years active: 1965
Date of arrest: Next day
Status: Released
Released on March 17, 1997, after being sentenced to life imprisonment on August 24, 1966

Case Summary

Background

Palle Mogens Fogde Sørensen was born on March 26, 1927, in Copenhagen, Denmark. His life changed dramatically when he was arrested on September 19, 1965 for murdering four Danish police officers during a bank robbery in Copenhagen.

The offence

Palle Sørensen was released in a stolen car in September 1965 while escaping. During the escape in Copenhagen, he shot four young police officers.

Investigation

After the shooting of four police officers in Copenhagen in September 1965, there was a huge search operation.

Arrest

Palle Sørensen was apprehended the following day after the search operation, following the escape in the stolen car and the shooting of four police officers.

Sentencing

On August 24, 1966, Palle Sørensen was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Appeals

Danish prisoners serving life-time sentences served a maximum of 16 years, and the average sentence had since 1955 been pardoned after 13 years. Palle Sørensen’s case was described as different because he had taken the lives of four police officers in Denmark, which no one had done before in Denmark and had never been done since.

Outcome

Palle Sørensen was eventually pardoned in 1997. He was released on March 17, 1997, a few days before he turned 70.

Aftermath

Palle Sørensen’s crime was described as leading to Danish police carrying guns instead of just clubs. With four police officers dead, and Palle making it out of prison alive, the “score” 4–0 became a provocative outcry of violent demonstrators fighting the police.

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