An 81-year-old man admitted Tuesday to sexually assaulting and killing an American tourist in Germany in 1994, German news agency dpa reported. The defendant, whose name was withheld due to German privacy laws, confessed to the killing of 24-year-old Amy Lopez in the western German city of Koblenz.
Prosecutors allege the man killed Lopez in a "treacherous manner and for base motives in order to satisfy his sexual urges." The defense lawyer, Volker Klein, stated that the defendant fully admitted to the crime, a confirmation the 81-year-old gave with a nod and a "yes" when directly asked by the presiding judge, Rupert Stehlin, in the Koblenz district court.
The crime occurred on Sept. 26, 1994, when Lopez was visiting Koblenz. Investigators believe the man, who was 49 at the time, lured her to a secluded area of the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, where he allegedly handcuffed her, sexually assaulted her, and then fatally stabbed her nine times in the chest. Reports indicate he also attempted to strangle her with a belt and struck her head with a rock as she tried to defend herself.
Lopez's body was discovered shortly after by children playing nearby. The case remained unsolved for decades until investigators re-examined old DNA evidence using new techniques. This analysis eventually led to a breakthrough, linking DNA from the victim’s waistband and thigh to the accused man.
The suspect was arrested in late February at a nursing home in the Koblenz area and has been held in pretrial detention since his arrest. The trial has been scheduled for eight days, with a verdict anticipated in September.