Life imprisonment for the brutal attack on Neuschwanstein Castle

Troy Philip B., 31, was sentenced to life in prison after a violent attack on two young American women not far from Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Germany.

The regional court in Kempten (state of Bavaria) classified the American man's crime as murder, attempted murder and rape.

Chief Justice Christoph Schwebacher also noted the particular seriousness of the crime. That means the sentence cannot be suspended after 15 years.

The defendant admitted to assaulting two friends on a hiking trail near Marienbrück in Swangau in mid-June 2023 and then throwing them into a 50-meter-deep ravine. A 21-year-old woman died in hospital after the attack, and her friend, a year older, was seriously injured.

The man had only met the girls a few minutes earlier; Both the victim and the accused had gone separately to Alga for a holiday trip. Marienbrück, opposite the fairytale castle, is a popular meeting point for tourists from all over the world as it offers a great view of the magnificent building of the Bavarian King Ludwig II.

The man attacked a 21-year-old girl to rape her. When her friend came to the young woman's aid, the man pushed the 22-year-old into the nearby Pollat ​​Valley. Then the accused continued to attack the young victim.

After a while after being surprised to see a couple committing the crime, the man let go of the woman and pushed her too over the edge of the cliff. Both women had to be rescued from the valley by helicopter.

A large number of tourists were alerted by police officers who registered the action and arrested the culprit. These photos and videos were shared across the world on social media.