A man from the US has been given a life sentence in jail for raping and killing another American tourist and trying to kill her friend near a popular tourist spot in Germany.
A German court found Troy Philipp B, 31, guilty of attacking two tourists near Neuschwanstein Castle. He said he hurt one woman and then pushed her and her friend off a cliff in June 14, 2023.
He made friends with the two women and then convinced them to leave the public path.
On Monday, in a court in Kempten, Bavaria, Judge Christoph Schwiebacher said the person was very guilty in the case.
He said the person who committed the crime may not be allowed to get out of prison for at least 15 years. This is what usually happens to people who are given life sentences in Germany, according to Agence France-Presse news agency.
German government could not confirm who the victims were, but their family members said they were Eva Liu, 21, and Kelsey Chang, 22, who had graduated from the University of Illinois.
The man from Michigan tricked the two friends into leaving the Marienbruecke bridge, which is a favorite spot to see the fairytale castle.
He showed them a secret path and warned them that it would be hard to find the bridge.
Officials say he pushed Ms Liu down, raped and choked her, and then Ms Chang tried to stop him.
He forced Ms Chang into a very deep ravine and then attacked her friend, choking her with a belt and filming it.
After some hikers found Ms. Liu unconscious, he pushed her into the ravine.
Rescuers found the women on the mountain and they were taken to safety by helicopters. Ms Liu passed away in the hospital because of her injuries.
Ms Chang was very hurt, but she lived.
The person they were looking for was not caught until later that day, after a big search.
A person visiting the area saw that his face and neck had deep red scratch marks and said there was signs of a fight.
During the trial in February, the person on trial said he felt really bad about what he did and that he didn’t plan to do it. He also said he had child pornography.
In her obituary, Ms. Liu’s family said she was a smart student who loved baking, traveling, and music.
The court in Germany did not give out the full name of the person who killed someone because of privacy laws.
Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria is 78 miles away from Munich and attracts over 1. 3 million tourists every year.
Tag: Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle
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US man sentenced to life in prison for killing tourist at Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle
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Woman murdered after man shoves two tourists over a ravine
Near Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle, a woman was tossed down a ravine and perished.
According to local authorities, the 21-year-old and her buddy, 22, had crossed paths with another American traveller on a hiking trail on Wednesday afternoon.
Then, according to reports, he enticed the two to a scenic spot close to the Marienbruecke bridge.
The younger woman was then “physically attacked” by the man, according to authorities.
When her 22-year-old companion tried to intervene, he choked her and pushed her down a steep slope, they added.
The man then appears to have allegedly attempted to sexually assault the 21-year-old before pushing her down the slope as well.
She fell nearly 50 metres (165 feet), ending up close to her friend.
The mountain rescue service rescued both women as shocked tourists watched on.
The 22-year-old was ‘responsive’ and taken to hospital, police said.
The 21-year-old was flown by helicopter to hospital with serious injuries and died there overnight.
The suspect left the scene but was arrested nearby shortly afterwards.
Chief Public Prosecutor Thomas Hörmann told Bild: ‘The crime happened on Wednesday around 2.40 pm. The two tourists met the man on a hiking tour east of the Marienbrücke and joined him.’
The trio then reached ‘a beaten path to a viewpoint’.
After the younger woman was attacked, ‘the 22-year-old wanted to help, so he choked her and pushed her down the slope,’ Mr Hörmann added.
Under German law, suspects must be brought before a judge at a closed-doors hearing by the end of the calendar day after their arrest if investigators intend to keep them in custody.
Police said a judge in nearby Kempten on Thursday ordered him held pending a potential indictment and he was taken to jail. He is under investigation on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and a sexual offence.
Police said they and prosecutors were focusing on trying to reconstruct exactly what happened and called for any witnesses to come forward.
Neuschwanstein, in southern Bavaria and close to the Austrian border, is one of Germany’s most popular tourist attractions.