A German court sentenced an American man to life in prison on Monday for the rape and murder of a U.S. tourist and the attempted murder of her friend near Germany’s renowned Neuschwanstein Castle. The incident, which occurred in June, garnered global attention due to the large number of visitors present at the castle, who witnessed the events and documented them as the victims were airlifted to a hospital.
The 31-year-old man from Michigan, identified as Troy B. by the court, befriended the two women near the Maria Bridge overlooking the castle in Bavaria. He then led them away from the public path under false pretenses of a better view. In a secluded area near the castle, he assaulted and raped the 21-year-old woman, pushing her 22-year-old friend down a 100-meter ravine when she tried to intervene. The older woman survived with severe injuries after getting caught on a tree branch.
Tragically, the 21-year-old victim was also thrown over the ledge after being raped by Troy B. She succumbed to her injuries in the hospital hours later, with the court determining that the strangulation alone would have been fatal. Prosecutors discovered violent pornography on his phone, which he used to film himself strangling her with his belt.
Following an extensive police search, Troy B. was apprehended later that day. The prosecutor described his actions as dehumanizing, treating the victim as a disposable object. The judge in Kempten, southern Germany, handed down a life sentence, citing the heinous nature of the crime as “particularly grave,” meaning he will not be eligible for parole after 15 years as in non-aggravated murder cases.
While Troy B. did not contest the murder charge, he sought to argue that it was not aggravated. The verdict is subject to appeal, and there is an option for him to request serving his sentence in the U.S., although his lawyer advised against it due to better detention conditions in Germany.
