By Jonathan Mason–June 16th, 2023
A US man hurled two female American tourists 165ft down a ravine near a world-famous German castle – killing one after he sexually assaulted her and her companion tried to fight him off, reports have claimed.
The horrific attack happened on Wednesday at Neuschwanstein castle, said to have been the inspiration for Disney’s ‘Cinderella’ castle. The man, whose name is not known, was later arrested and is being investigated for murder, attempted murder and one sexual offence.
Footage from the scene purportedly showed him being led away in handcuffs.
The two women, aged 21 and 22, met the man, 30, near the Marienbrücke bridge, a narrow footbridge that at its highest point crosses 300ft above the gorge and offers stunning views of the castle.
Eva Liu, 21, from Naperville, Illinois, died after plunging 165ft down a ravine during a day trip to the famous Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria.
Liu and her 22-year-old friend Kelsey Chang had both graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign last month.
The man allegedly persuaded them to follow him down a secluded trail that led to a good lookout point, where he ‘physically attacked’ the 21-year-old.
When her friend tried to intervene, he allegedly choked her and pushed her down a steep slope. Police believe ‘an attempted sexual offence’ was then committed against the 21-year-old, before she was also pushed down the slope.
She fell next to her friend some 165ft below. The pair were airlifted away, but the 21-year-old woman died in a hospital overnight, while her 22-year-old companion has already been released from hospital. Apparently a fallen tree broke her fall and saved her life.
The suspect fled the scene, but was caught after a massive police operation involving 25 emergency vehicles on Wednesday afternoon and taken to a police station in nearby Fuessen, it added.
A witness video posted online showed a man in a T-shirt, jeans and a baseball cap being led away in handcuffs by police, while another clip showed one of the victims being airlifted out of the ravine by a mountain rescue helicopter.
The two women had been staying at the same hotel as their attacker, MailOnline has revealed.
All three of the US visitors had been staying at the budget Seibel Hotel in the centre of Munich, around 50 miles away from the castle. They had travelled by coach to Neuschwanstein with other tourists. It is not known if they became acquainted with the killer at the hotel, on the excursion bus, or later at the tour destination.
A spokesman for Bavarian police said: ‘We couldn’t verify yet which US state the suspect is from. Inquiries are still ongoing via German and American authorities.
‘The suspect didn’t make any comments to police but in his hearing in court yesterday he did have his say in regards to remaining in custody. We don’t want to say exactly what he said, however,’ he told MailOnline.
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.
It is not clear whether the German police yet know the name of the suspect. It was previously reported that he was refusing to speak.
Sources: Daily Mail, MailOnline, BBC, NPR, APNews.
