Police appeal for photos and video after American arrested in fatal attack near German castle

German police were appealing Friday for photos and video in relation to an attack near a castle in Germany that left a 21-year-old American dead and her 22-year-old friend injured when they were allegedly assaulted by another American tourist. Police in the southeast German state of Bavaria confirmed to CBS News that a U.S. national was arrested in connection with the incident, and Stefan Rinke, the Mayor of Schwangau, in Bavaria, told local media that all three people involved were American.

The women were hiking near Neuschwanstein Castle, which served as the inspiration for the castle in Disney's movie "Cinderella," when they met a 30-year-old man who told them to follow him down a trail leading to a secret viewpoint.

When the two women followed him, the suspect attacked the 21-year-old victim, police spokesperson Holger Stabik said. Her friend tried to intervene and the man choked her and pushed her down a steep slope. He then attempted to sexually assault the 21-year-old, Stabik said, before pushing her down the slope as well.

Both women fell approximately 165 feet.

Rescue workers found the two women and the 21-year-old was flown by helicopter to a hospital, where she died of her injuries. Stabik told CBS News on Friday that the 22-year-old woman suffered minor injuries and was expected to be released from the hospital later in the day.

"The perpetrator at first moved away from the scene of the crime after the assault," Stabik told journalists on Thursday. "Whether this was a classic escape or not is not entirely known. In any case, he was then arrested a short time later by police officers on the basis of a witness tip in the immediate vicinity of the crime."

Eric Abneri was visiting Neuschwanstein Castle from New York and captured video of the suspect being led away by police on his phone.

"His face was covered in deep red scratch marks and his neck as well," Abneri told CBS News on Thursday. "There was clearly a struggle there, and he just had a frown on his face. He didn't say anything. He had a sort of disturbed look."

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Berlin told CBS News on Thursday that it was "aware of an incident involving multiple individuals" but declined to provide further information citing "privacy considerations."  

The official said the embassy was communicating with German authorities on the matter.

CBS News' Anna Noryskiewicz in Berlin and Emmet Lyons in London contributed to this report.

In:
• Murder
• Germany

Haley Ott

Haley Ott is an international reporter for CBS News based in London.

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