A DISTINCTIVE journalist fearless in her pursuit of the truth, Kim Wall was by all accounts from friends and family, a positive force of energy.

Stacking up bylines in esteemed publications including The New York Times and Harper's Magazine, each CV entry read like the pinned-to-your-mother's-fridge level of accomplishment. She was young, ambitious and had a dazzling future ahead.

Yet this week a dark cloud hangs heavy over the world of journalism, within the tribes of working women and among compassionate humans everywhere.

After the Swedish journalist disappeared onboard the submarine of Danish inventor Peter Madsen earlier this month, speculation was rife as to her whereabouts.

Accompanying Madsen onboard his submarine, Wall, 30, set out to write up a feature delving into the world of the eccentric inventor.

In what should have been an in-depth interview, observing the creator among his creation, her voyage took a dark turn.

Madsen was rescued at sea after his submarine mysteriously sank during their trip, and last week Wall's dismembered torso washed up onshore in Copenhagen. The inventor has since been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

As a freelance journalist, Wall would have been accustomed to gathering many of her stories alone. Finding cutting edge feature ideas and pitching them to editors, she would generally have been tasked with researching the pieces solo before writing up her findings with flair.

Throughout her short but prolific career her ideas took her to Cuba to discover a culture devoid of the Internet; to North Korea to cover the effects of Nuclear testing; to writing about the Chinese in East Africa.

To someone such as myself working in the same industry, her's was a career to aspire to. But, as with other professions, sadly it was not a job without risks.

Onboard the submarine, it has been reported that Wall intended to pitch her story to editors following the interview. Hence, like many other freelancers, did not have institutional backing at the time. She was, as many have faced before her, at the mercy of her interviewee's decency and hospitality.

Whilst we don't yet know exactly what happened that day or who was to blame, we do know Kim Wall's life was ended and measures were taken to prevent her body from ever being found.

Last year the International News Safety Institute (INSI), Killing the Messenger, found that 115 journalists were killed simply for doing their job. This year, Kim Wall tragically become one them.

As a young woman, there were arguably many threats facing her in the job of a freelance journalist. But her commitment to storytelling is commendable. We can't eradicate all the evil from the world, but to let the fear of the unknown dictate our lives would be to let it win.

Whilst her life was taken in what we can presume were awful circumstances, her voice cannot be silenced. An energetic influence in life, Kim Wall's work will live on as a positive force; shining a torch on the cultures and people without platforms.