- An American man confessed Monday to murder and rape in connection with an incident near Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle last year.
- His charges include murder, deadly rape, attempted murder and possession of child pornography.
- He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for murder in Germany.
An American man pleaded guilty Monday to murder and rape for pushing two American women into a ravine near Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle last year, fatally injuring one of them.
The 31-year-old defendant admitted the charges at the start of his trial, German news agency dpa reported. In the German legal system, defendants do not formally file charges.
“The defendant has committed an unfathomable crime,” defense lawyer Philippe Moller said in a statement. The defendant, whose name has not been published in accordance with German privacy rules, acknowledged the correctness of his lawyer’s statement but did not answer questions.
Neuschwanstein Castle attack victim identified as Illinois Institute of Technology graduate
The defendant is charged with murder, negligent rape, attempted murder, and possession of child pornography. In Germany, murder carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
On February 19, 2024, a 31-year-old American man accused of murder is brought to court in the district court in Kempten, southern Germany. The man on Monday pleaded guilty to murder and rape for allegedly shoving two American women. Last year, women fell into a ravine near Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle, one of them suffering fatal injuries. (Karl Josef Hildenbrand/DPA via AP)
The attack occurred on June 14 last year near Marienbrücke, a bridge spanning a ravine near Neuschwanstein Castle, one of Germany’s most famous tourist attractions.
According to prosecutors, the defendant happened upon two female tourists, aged 21 and 22, on a hiking trail and lured them off the trail. They said in a statement that it appears the man first pushed the young woman to the ground and tried to remove her clothes.
American man assaults two women near German castle, killing one of them
When the elderly woman tried to help her, a scuffle ensued and the suspect apparently pushed her down a steep slope. She fell approximately 165 feet and suffered head injuries, bruises and scrapes, but she survived.
Prosecutors said the suspect strangled the young woman, raped her until she lost consciousness, then pushed her down a slope. she died
Prosecutors said they had secured a laptop and a cell phone from the suspect that contained child sexual abuse material.
Authorities said the women did not know the men until they met near Neuschwanstein Castle. The suspect was arrested shortly after the attack.
A verdict is expected to be handed down as early as mid-March.
