Neuschwanstein Castle: Man sentenced to life for homicide and rape after girl pushed down ravine close to German landmark

Mar 11, 2024 at 8:21 PM
Neuschwanstein Castle: Man sentenced to life for homicide and rape after girl pushed down ravine close to German landmark

A person has been sentenced to life in jail over a violent assault on two American vacationers close to a citadel in Germany stated to have impressed Disney.

The 31-year-old US citizen was accused of throttling, raping and killing a 21-year-old girl and throwing her 22-year-old buddy down a 100-metre ravine close to Neuschwanstein Castle, in Bavaria.

He was convicted of homicide, tried homicide and rape with deadly penalties.

The man, from Michigan, had admitted to the charges initially of his trial final month.

In line with German privateness legal guidelines, authorities didn’t determine the victims and solely allowed the perpetrator to be recognized as Troy B.

11 March 2024, Bavaria, Kempten: The defendant stands in the dock in a courtroom of the district court. Following the violent attack on two young American women not far from Neuschwanstein Castle, the 31-year-old was sentenced to life imprisonment. On Monday, the district court in Kempten classified the crime committed by the man, who is also from the USA, as murder, attempted murder and rape resulting in death. Photo by: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
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The man was solely recognized as Troy B, in keeping with German privateness legal guidelines. Pic: AP

At the time of the incident, kinfolk stated the victims have been current graduates of the University of Illinois and the girl who died was Eva Liu, 21.

The choose presiding over the trial concluded the person bore significantly extreme guilt – which means, underneath German sentencing pointers, he probably will not be eligible for launch after 15 years as is normally the case within the nation.

Judge Christoph Schwiebacher described him as “incredibly callous”, including a launch after 15 years would “not be justifiable”.

The man allegedly met the 2 mates close to one in every of Germany’s best-known points of interest, in June last year.

File pic: Reuters A general view shows Neuschwanstein Castle, following a police report of an attack, near Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany, June 15, 2023. REUTERS/Ayhan Uyanik/File Photo
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Neuschwanstein Castle. Pic: Reuters

Prosecutors say the trio have been near the Marienbruecke, a bridge over a gorge that provides views of the citadel.

After luring them away from the path, he’s stated to have compelled the youthful girl to the bottom and tried to undress her.

When the opposite girl tried to intervene, there was a scuffle and he allegedly pushed her down a steep slope.

She fell about 165ft (50m) however survived, struggling a head harm and a number of other bruises.

The man is then stated to have strangled the youthful girl till she handed out, earlier than raping her.

Prosecutors say she was killed when she was additionally pushed down the slope.

Judge Schwiebacher stated he “disposed of her like a bag of garbage”.

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The courtroom in Kempten, southern Germany, discovered the defendant wished to maintain footage of his actions – materials that turned necessary proof to investigators – as a “trophy”.

Police officers arrested him close to the scene of the assault.

Neuschwanstein is claimed to have been the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland, California, and the Cinderella Castle in Disneyworld, Florida.