Illinois grad killed, another injured after being pushed down ravine at Germany's 'Cinderella' castle

BERLIN - An American man has been arrested in the death of a University of Illinois graduate and assault of another near Neuschwanstein castle in southern Germany after he allegedly pushed the two women down a steep slope, authorities said Thursday.

The incident near the popular tourist attraction happened on Wednesday afternoon near the Marienbruecke, a bridge over a gorge close to the castle that offers a famous view of Neuschwanstein.

The 30-year-old man met the two tourists, 21-year-old Eva Y. Liu and 22-year-old Kelsey Chang, on a hiking path and lured them onto a trail that leads to a viewpoint, police said in a statement.

"The younger of the two women was attacked by the suspect," said police spokesman Holger Stabik. "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 Liu before pushing her down the slope as well. She fell nearly 50 meters (165 feet), ending up close to her friend.

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A mountain rescue team reached both women. Chang was "responsive" and taken to a hospital, police said; a helicopter carried the Liu with serious injuries to a different hospital, and she died there overnight.

The suspect left the scene but was quickly arrested nearby. Bystander video posted online showed police leading away a handcuffed man in a T-shirt, jeans and a baseball cap.

Eric Abneri, a recent business graduate from the University of Pittsburgh who took the video, said the man appeared to have scratches across his face.

"He did not say a single word. He didn’t open his mouth; he didn’t mumble," Abneri told The Associated Press. "He just walked with the police and that was it."

FOX 32 spokes to a neighbor of the Liu family who was stunned.

"It’s horrible. I have a daughter, I can’t imagine just getting out of school and starting to spread her wings and something like that happens. I’m sure the parents were very nervous to begin with and to have something like that, it’s terrible," said Jeff Kraull.

Liu was from Naperville, and both women attended high school in Aurora before studying at U of I.

"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," U of I Associate Chancellor Robin Kaler said in a statement.

Abneri said he and friends reached the scenic overlook as a helicopter arrived and they saw rescuers lower themselves down to 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.

Abneri described it as "a very, very difficult rescue because of those cliffs and because the helicopter came mere feet above the tree line at the top of the hill."

"They did an unbelievable job," he said.

Police said the man they arrested was American and described him as also a tourist. Chang remained hospitalized Thursday, according to prosecutors.

Police said a judge in nearby Kempten on Thursday ordered the suspect held pending a potential indictment — a process that can take months — and he was taken to jail. He is under investigation on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and a sexual offense.

Police said they and prosecutors were focusing on trying to reconstruct exactly what happened and called for any witnesses to come forward.

Neuschwanstein, located in southern Bavaria close to Austria’s border, is one of Germany’s most popular tourist attractions.

It is the most famous of the castles built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the 19th century. Construction started in 1869 but was never completed. Ludwig died in 1886.

The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy released the following statement:

"Eva was a dedicated, academically talented and involved student. She served as a student leader in her Residence Hall coordinating programming for her peers and fostering a safe and supportive environment. She was a member of the Student Planning Committee for the 2018 International Student Science Fair held on the IMSA campus assisting with programming for 250 students from 32 different countries.  Eva was an adept student researcher who participated in IMSA’s Student Inquiry and Research program studying the effects of high levels of CO2 on the proliferation of skeletal muscle stem cells. Here is a link to her research project.

On behalf of our administration, faculty and staff, we are saddened by this loss and we grieve for and with her family and loved ones. The loss of any student, particularly in such a tragic way, deeply hurts us all."

The University of Illinois released the following statement:

"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."

FOX 32 Digital Staff contributed to this report.