81-Year-Old Man Admits to 1994 Murder of American Tourist in Germany

On Tuesday, an 81-year-old man confessed to the sexual assault and murder of an American tourist over three decades ago in Germany. The defendant, whose identity remains undisclosed due to German privacy regulations, acknowledged killing 24-year-old Amy Lopez in 1994 in Koblenz, a city in western Germany.

Prosecutors have charged the man with the murder of Lopez, citing that his actions were motivated by base desires to fulfill sexual urges. During the trial session at the Koblenz district court, defense lawyer Volker Klein confirmed the defendant’s full admission of guilt. When questioned by presiding judge Rupert Stehlin, the elderly man nodded and replied affirmatively.

The crime occured on September 26, 1994, while Lopez was visiting Koblenz. Prosecutors claim the defendant, then 49 years old, deceived Lopez into following him to a secluded area within the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. There, he allegedly handcuffed, assaulted, and stabbed her multiple times, resulting in her death. Authorities reported Lopez was strangled with a belt and struck with a stone as she attempted to defend herself.

Children discovered Lopez’s partially unclothed body, which bore significant head injuries, according to local officials. For many years, the case remained unsolved until advancements in DNA analysis techniques shed new light. Investigators revisited Lopez’s clothing and evaluated approximately 1,600 samples, eventually linking a male DNA trace to the suspect.

In 2024, a 2,500 euro reward was offered for information leading to an arrest, following the discovery of the DNA evidence. The case attracted more public interest after featuring on a true crime program, “Aktenzeichen XY.” The accused was detained in February at a nursing home near Koblenz and has been held in pretrial detention since then.

The trial is scheduled over eight days, with a verdict anticipated in September. Defense attorney Volker Klein made remarks during a recess in the trial. The Associated Press contributed to this report.