It was in June last year that two women wandered by the “Sagoslottet”.
They then came into contact with a man from the American state of Michigan, who tricked the women with him a short distance from the castle, by promising a better vantage point, writes Reuters.
The man films the incident
The man then raped and strangled the 21-year-old woman, according to the investigation, and filmed the crime. Her 22-year-old friend, who tried to intervene, was pushed down a 50-meter slope.
After being interrupted by a couple of other hikers, the man also pushed the rape victim over the same ledge. She landed near her friend who raised the alarm about the incident.
– He used her as an object and threw her over the edge as an object he no longer needed, says the prosecutor, according to Reuters.
Both were injured but alive when emergency personnel arrived at the scene, the younger of the women later died in hospital. The other woman was seriously injured, but survived as she got stuck in a tree branch.
“Sagoslottet” popular tourist destination
The 31-year-old admitted the offenses on the first day of the trial in February and his lawyer told the court he was ashamed of his actions.
According to the decision of the district court in the city of Kempten, it is unlikely that he will be released after 15 years, which is otherwise customary for life sentences in Germany.
The “Fairy Tale Castle” is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe and looks like something out of a Disney movie. Neuschwanstein is located approximately 10 miles southwest of Munich.