U.S. man admits to rape, murder in attack at Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle
Feb. 19 (UPI) -- A 31-year-old American man on Monday confessed to charges of murder and rape in connection with a brutal attack on two U.S. women last year at Germany's famed Neuschwanstein Castle.
The unnamed U.S. citizen appeared at a regional court in Bavaria, Germany, where his defense attorney read out a statement in which the man confessed to the most serious charges brought against him, according to the German DPA agency and public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk.
The defendant "committed the inconceivable offense," his attorney said, referencing the June 14, 2023, assaults at the tourist landmark, in which 21-year-old Eva Liu was raped and thrown down a steep ravine to her death.
Her companion, 22-year-old Kelsey Chang, was also thrown into Pollat Gorge while attempting to stop the assault but managed to survive the ordeal.
Both women were students at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill., at the time of the attack.
Bavarian police said the attacks happened at the Marienbrucke Bridge, where tourists from around the world gather to view the 19th-century "Cinderella" palace, ranked as one of the most most visited and photographed tourist attractions in Germany.
The defendant entered the courtroom with his face hidden behind a red folder and a black facemask and listened without emotion as German police detailed the results of their investigation to the court.
They said they were able to gather significant evidence from videos and photos of the crime found on the man's own cell phone. Police also alleged finding images of child pornography, as well as pornographic images depicting violent sex acts on the defendant's other electronic devices.
Prosecutors say the man met the two students near Neuschwanstein Castle at about 2:30 p.m. on the day of the attack and, under the pretext of showing them a particularly beautiful viewpoint of the castle, lured them onto a path that was difficult for passers-bys to see.
The man then allegedly sexually attacked Liu while Chang came to her friend's defense. Chang was pushed into the ravine, where she remained injured in a tree 165 feet down. Authorities said the attacker then choked Liu until she lost consciousness, raped her and also pushed her into the ravine. She died in hospital afterward.
The man was arrested a short time later near Marienbrücke following a major police operation in which hundreds of tourists watched as authorities worked to rescue the victims from the gorge.
