32 years after American tourist's murder, trial begins
32 years after American tourist Amy Lopez was murdered in Koblenz, Germany, an 81-year-old man admitted in court Tuesday to sexually assaulting and killing the 24-year-old. The unnamed defendant nodded and said yes when the judge asked if he fully admitted the 1994 crime. A verdict is expected in September.
Key Takeaways
- An 81-year-old man admitted in Koblenz district court to killing 24-year-old American tourist Amy Lopez in 1994.
- Prosecutors say he lured Lopez into a secluded room at Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, then sexually assaulted her and stabbed her nine times.
- The case sat unsolved for decades until investigators re-tested clothing and about 1,600 samples using new DNA methods.
- Police arrested the suspect in late February at a nursing home; eight trial days are set, with a verdict expected in September.
What happened to Amy Lopez in 1994?
Amy Lopez, 24, was visiting Koblenz as a tourist on Sept. 26, 1994, when she was killed. Prosecutors say the defendant, then 49, lured her under false pretenses into a secluded room of Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.
They allege he handcuffed her, sexually assaulted her and killed her with nine knife wounds to the chest. The Koblenz Public Prosecutor's Office said earlier this year that the victim was strangled, struck on the head with a stone, and stabbed multiple times.
According to German news agency dpa, the suspect also allegedly strangled Lopez with a belt when she tried to defend herself and shouted. Children later discovered her partially nude body, which bore severe head wounds, local authorities said.
How did investigators identify a suspect after 30 years?
This true crime and unsolved mysteries case remained cold for decades. Investigators later analyzed old DNA traces with new methods, producing the breakthrough that had eluded police.
The prosecutor's office said investigators re-examined Lopez's clothing and analyzed about 1,600 samples. In 2024, 30 years after she was found, police offered a 2,500 euro reward for information leading to an arrest after a male DNA trace was discovered.
More tips came in after the case appeared on "Aktenzeichen XY," a German true crime program, prosecutors said. The man was arrested in late February at a nursing home in the Koblenz area and has been in pretrial detention since.
What did the defendant admit in court?
At the opening of his trial on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, CBS News reported, citing dpa, that the 81-year-old admitted to sexually assaulting and killing Lopez. His name was not released, in line with German privacy rules.
Prosecutors accused him of "killing a person in a treacherous manner and for base motives in order to satisfy his sexual urges." Defense lawyer Volker Klein told the Koblenz district court that the defendant admitted fully to the crime.
Presiding judge Rupert Stehlin asked the defendant if that was true. The 81-year-old nodded and said "yes."
When is a verdict expected?
Eight trial days have been scheduled. A verdict is expected in September. The defendant has been in pretrial detention since his arrest as the Koblenz court hears a case that went unsolved for more than three decades.