The defendant’s lawyer said his client was “deeply ashamed” of his actions
An American man accused of raping and killing an American tourist near Bavaria’s famous Neuschwanstein Castle last year made a wide-ranging confession on the first day of his trial on Monday.
Troy Philipp B. faces multiple charges, including one count of murder in the death of a 21-year-old American woman. He was also accused of attempting to murder the victim’s friend, who was also a U.S. citizen.
“The defendant committed an act that is incomprehensible,” his lawyer Philippe Müller told the district court in the southern town of Kempten.
The two women, aged 21 and 22 at the time, had ended a European trip to Italy and Spain in June last year, hiking in the Neuschwanstein area.
Prosecutors said the two men spoke to B. after the two women slipped at the same spot on the mountain road as the defendant.
“Enough adventure for today,” B. allegedly told the women, according to prosecutors. B. then offered to take them to a nearby viewpoint on the way back to the castle.
According to investigators, the then-30-year-old man pushed the 21-year-old woman to the ground in a secluded area, then raped and strangled her.
Her friends intervened, leading to a fight and the defendant allegedly pushing the 22-year-old girl down a 50-meter (165-foot) slope.
The suspect then continued to sexually assault the 21-year-old woman and strangled her with a belt during the filming.
The crime was stumbled upon by two hikers who pushed their rape victim off the same ledge while she was unconscious.
The 21-year-old landed at the bottom of the slope next to her friend, who called emergency services to tell them her friend was “gasping”.
When mountain rescuers found the two women, the 22-year-old was injured but could still speak.
The rape victim was seriously injured and flown to hospital by helicopter, where she succumbed to her injuries later that night.
“deeply ashamed”
B.’s attorney said the defendant did not plan the attack in advance.
“He knew the victim would die without help, but he still left her behind,” Mueller told the court.
The lawyer added that his client was “deeply ashamed” of his actions and wished to apologize to the victim’s family.
B. from Michigan, USA, spoke only to confirm the accuracy of the statements made by his lawyer to the court.
On Monday, B. also pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography, which investigators discovered while investigating the attack and said the defendant’s sister was included.
He is not expected to make any further comments during the trial, which continues until March 13.
Germany’s best-selling Bild newspaper reported that the rescue operation and subsequent arrest took place in front of hundreds of tourists.
B. If found guilty, he faces life imprisonment.
Built by King Ludwig II in the 19th century, Neuschwanstein Castle is one of Germany’s most visited attractions, attracting more than one million visitors each year.
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