German castle attack: American victims in deadly Neuschwanstein tourist attack are named

An idyllic tourist spot in Germany became the site of a shocking tragedy when two American women were thrown over the edge of a steep gorge - allegedly by an American man who sexually assaulted them.

German police are investigating an incident which took place Wednesday (15 June) near the famous Neuschwanstein castle.

A 30-year-old suspect allegedly attempted to assault the two women before forcing them over a ledge.

Both women, ages 21 and 22, were rescued, but the younger one died of her injuries soon after.

The victims and alleged assailant have yet to be named.

Here’s what we know so far:

Video posted online showed police arresting the 30-year-old suspect after he fled from the scene of the attack. He is seen wearing a T-shirt, jeans and a baseball cap.

The video was recorded by Eric Aberneri, who told the Associated Press that the man appeared to have scratches on his face.

“He did not say a single word. He didn’t open his mouth; he didn’t mumble,” Mr Abneri, a recent business graduate from the University of Pittsburgh, told the outlet. “He just walked with the police and that was it.”

Mr Abneri also described how he and his friends reached the scenic overlook as a helicopter flew in to rescue the victims.

“I’m honestly absolutely stunned someone is still alive from this. It is like falling from the top of an absolute cliff,” he said.

He said the rescue was “very, very difficult” as the helicopter had to hover just feet over the treeline as crews were lowered down to the victims.

“They did an unbelievable job,” he said of the rescuers.

Little is known about the suspect, other than that he is a 30-year-old American man.

He did not know the victims prior to the attack, authorities said.

The man reportedly appeared in court on Thursday and was ordered to be held in jail pending an indictment - which could take months, the Associated Press reported.

He is being investigated on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and a sexual offense.

Neuschwanstein castle sits in the foothills of the Alps on Germany’s southern edge.

It was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, with construction beginning in 1869 but never actually coming to completion.

The king never ended up living at the castle before his death in 1886, after which it was opening to the public.

The towering estate is one of Germany‘s most popular tourist attractions and is said to have been the inspiration for various Disney castles.

More than 1.3 million people visit the site each year, with up to 6,000 visitors each day in during the peak summer season.

On Wednesday afternoon, two American women, aged 21 and 22, were forced off a steep ledge at the Marienbrücke, a pedestrain bridge with sweeping views of the castle, which sits above a high river gorge.

“The two tourists met the man on a hiking tour east of the Marienbrücke,” Chief Public Prosecutor Thomas Hörmann told German tabloid Bild.

“The man then steered the two under a pretext to a trail that was difficult to see, which leads to a viewpoint,” Bavarian police said in a statement.

Once out of sight, the 30-year-old assailant reportedly tried to attack the women, going after the younger woman first, prompting the 22-year-old to try and defend her, police said.

“The younger of the two women was attacked by the suspect,” police spokesman Holger Stabik told the AP. “The older one tried to rush to her aid, was then choked by the suspect and subsequently pushed down a slope. ”

After that, the man made an “attempted sexual offence” on the 21-year-old and pushed her over the ledge as well, DW reports.

German prosecutors are not considering extradition for the man accused of murdering an American tourist, according to the German outlet Rheinische Post.

However, a later transfer for the execution of the sentence is possible, a spokesperson for the local public prosecutor’s office said.

Authorities in Kempten have asked witnesses who may have video or pictures of the moments leading up to the attack and the incident itself to forward them to the department. According to the German outlet Rheinische Post, police believe there is a lot of material that needs to be reviewed by detectives.

“We hope that this will further clarify the situation before and after the crime,” a police spokesman said.

The suspect was caught after a massive police operation involving 25 emergency vehicles on Wednesday afternoon and taken to a police station in nearby Fuessen.

The American suspect is in a German correctional facility, as officials investigate the attack as a potential sexual offence, murder, and attempted murder.

“The allegation is not yet established,” prosecutor Hörmann told DW.

Kempten criminal police are leading the investigation, and are asking those with knowledge of the incident to get in contact with them.

Bavarian police said the attacker was a 30-year-old US national, DW reports.

The man appeared before a judge at the Kempten District Court, but did not comment on a motive behind the attack.

It is unclear how long he had been in Germany, but he has been described by local authorities as a tourist.

Bystander video posted online showed police leading away a handcuffed, bearded man in a T-shirt, jeans and a baseball cap.