Police in southern Germany are appealing for photos and videos taken by witnesses of an attack near Neuschwanstein castle in which an American man allegedly pushed two women down a steep slope, killing one of them. A suspect was arrested following the attack.
The women, both recent graduates at the University of Illinois, were identified as 21-year-old Eva Liu of Naperville and 22-year-old Kelsey Chang of Bloomington.
Liu was killed in the attack, while Chang survived and is currently recovering at a hospital, where police said she is "responsive."
German news agency dpa quoted police as saying Friday that they have so far received about a dozen submissions on a specially created website, but assume many more images were taken by tourists present at the site.
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“We are looking for photographs which, by chance, show two young women and a man (approx. 30 years old) who were staying east of the Marienbruecke,” Kempten police said on their website. “These persons may have been walking together or separately.”
The Marienbruecke, or Mary's Bridge, is a popular vantage point for photos of Neuschwanstein, the most famous of the castles built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the 19th century.
According to the initial police investigation, the suspect met the two female tourists, Americans aged 21 and 22, on a hiking path and lured them onto a trail that leads to a viewpoint.
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“The younger of the two women was attacked by the suspect," police spokesman Holger Stabik said. “The older one tried to rush to her aid, was then choked by the suspect and subsequently pushed down a slope.”
The assailant then appears to have attempted to sexually assault the 21-year-old before pushing her down the slope as well, prosecutors said. She fell nearly 50 meters (165 feet), ending up close to her friend.
Both women were recovered by mountain rescuers. Liu was flown to a hospital with serious injuries and later died, while Chang remains hospitalized.
Robin Kaler, the Associate Chancellor at University of Illinois, offered the following statement to NBC Chicago:
"I can confirm that Kelsey Chang was awarded a BS in Computer Engineering in May 2023, and Eva Y. Liu was awarded a BS in Computer Science in May 2023. Our University of Illinois family is mourning the senseless death of Ms. Liu and the attack on Ms. Chang. Both had just graduated in May and should have been able to celebrate such an important accomplishment without the fear of such a tragic outcome. Our thoughts are with Ms. Chang as she recovers and with both of their families as they grieve."
The suspect, who was not identified, remains in custody on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, prosecutors said, adding it wasn't clear how long he had been in the country.
The U.S. Embassy in Berlin said it was aware of the incident and the consulate in Munich was in contact with authorities.
“Due to privacy considerations, we are unable to comment further at this time,” the embassy said in a statement.
