Woman killed when she was thrown down 'Cinderella' castle ravine is identified
A woman who was killed when a man threw her 160ft down a ravine from a castle that inspired Disney's Cinderella has been named.
Today Eva Liu, 21, from Naperville, Illinois, was named as the woman who was killed when a man, also from the US, attacked her and her friend after luring them to a famous beauty spot near the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany.
She was with her friend Kelsey Chang, 22, who survived.
Both graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) last month.
A statement from the Associate Chancellor of the UIUC confirmed the two had recently graduated with computer science and computer engineering degrees.
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Robin Kaler described the death of Liu as “senseless”.
She said in a statement: “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."
Eva Liu had only recently graduated (Instagram)The US man, who has not yet been identified, allegedly killed Eva and seriously injured Kelsey by throwing them 160ft down a ravine after sexually assaulting one and brawling with her companion at the famous 'Disney' castle in Germany, police said.
The assault took place on Wednesday at the 19th Century Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria, which is located at the foothills of the Alps and thought to have been the inspiration for Disney's "Cinderella" castle.
The 30-year-old man, who was later arrested on suspicion of the horrific crimes, had met the two women the same day on a narrow bridge that crosses the 300-ft gaping gorge surrounding the castle.
He is said to have convinced the pair to accompany him to a lookout point at the popular tourist attraction, but when they got there he "physically attacked" the younger of the two, police said.
Eva was looking forward to a bright future (Linkedin)
Her friend Kelsey Chang was seriously injured (Facebook)Her pal then tried to defend her, but he choked her before pushing her down a steep slope.
Cops said he then allegedly tried to carry out a sexual offence before he tried to push the 21-year-old down the slope too. She fell nearly 50 meters (165 feet), ending up close to her friend.
"According to the current state of knowledge, an attempted sexual offence to the detriment of the 21-year-old must be assumed," said police in a statement in English.
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"The 22-year-old wanted to help, so he choked her and pushed her down the slope."
Both fell around 165ft down the gorge and had to be airlifted out, but tragically the 21-year-old woman died in hospital.
Her 22-year-old friend is still in hospital, German media reported.
The suspect fled but a massive manhunt was launched involving 25 emergency vehicles and he was eventually tracked down.
Surveillance footage shows the moment the man was led away from the castle and taken into police custody. Another cliip shows the victim being lifted from the ravine by chopper.
The US man is led away having been arrested (@thefrownyface/Twitter)The castle is a huge tourist draw, attracting 1.4 million visitors each year and 6,000 each day in the summer months.
Authorities didn’t identify either the suspect or the victims or give any further details.
Under German law, suspects must be brought before a judge at a closed-doors hearing by the end of the calendar day after their arrest if investigators intend to keep them in custody.
Police said a judge in nearby Kempten had ordered the suspect held pending a potential indictment - a process that can take months - and he was taken to jail.
The US man is led away (@thefrownyface/Twitter)
Emergency services are seen at the bottom of the ravine (@thefrownyface/Twitter)German cops say they are treating the case as murder and attempted murder, in addition to the sexual offence.
They are currently working to reconstruct the order of events, police added.
Speaking with German daily, Bild, Chief Public Prosecutor Thomas Hörmann said: "The crime happened on Wednesday around 2.40pm.
“The two tourists happened to meet the man on a hiking tour east of the Marienbrücke and joined him.”
Members of the local mountain rescue service reached both women.
The 22-year-old was “responsive” and taken to a hospital, police said. The 21-year-old was flown by helicopter to a hospital with serious injuries and died there overnight.
The suspect left the scene but was arrested nearby shortly afterwards.
A man who saw the arrest said he saw a man "with a bloodied face" being taken off into custody.
A witness video posted online showed a man in a T-shirt, jeans and a baseball cap being led away in handcuffs by police.
The stunning castle inspired Cinderella (Frank Rumpenhorst/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)New York tourist Eric Abneri recalled hearing the helicopters whirling above the world-famous tourist attraction.
"We saw two or three men repelling (into the ravine) and were confused, until I noticed the woman in blue who we thought fell.
"They rescued the woman. I'm unsure of who lived and the helicopter flew away, then came back for the other rescuers. Shortly after we went back to see the bridge and it was closed with a police presence."
Eric, a 21-year-old recent business graduate from the University of Pittsburgh, told the New York Times that the man hadn't resisted when police took him away. The suspect looked like a "generic tourist" to Eric, but there was one thing of note.
"The only thing that stuck out to me is that he had a lot of red marks on his face a neck," Eric said. "He really looked like the victims clawed into him."
"He did not say a single word. He didn't open his mouth; he didn't mumble," Eric said. "He just walked with the police and that was it."
Eric said he and friends reached the scenic overlook as a helicopter arrived and they saw rescuers lower themselves down to the victims.
The Marienbruecke near Neuschwanstein Castle (ANNA SZILAGYI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)"I'm honestly absolutely stunned someone is still alive from this. It is like falling from the top of an absolute cliff," he said.
The castle is a huge tourist draw, attracting 1.4 million visitors each year and 6,000 each day in the summer months.
Authorities didn’t identify either the suspect or the victims or give any further details.
A number of witnesses at the scene were said to have been shaken up by the horrific incident.
Authorities didn’t identify either the suspect or the victims or give any further details.
The bridge was reopened to the public after cops secured the crime scene.
Under German law, suspects must be brought before a judge at a closed-doors hearing by the end of the calendar day after their arrest if investigators intend to keep them in custody.
Police said a judge in nearby Kempten had ordered the suspect held pending a potential indictment - a process that can take months - and he was taken to jail.
The incredible castle (Frank Rumpenhorst/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)He is under investigation on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and a sexual offence.
The Neuschwanstein Castle, in the German Alps close in southern Bavaria and close to the Austrian border, is one of Germany’s most popular tourist attractions.
It was the retreat of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who built it in the 19th century and reclused himself there after losing in the Austro-Prussian war.
He paid for it with his personal fortune, but the castle wasn't completed in his lifetime - Ludwig died in 1886 - and was finally finished in 1996.
The castle is believed to have inspired Walt Disney when he drew his fairytale castle.
Police said they and prosecutors were focusing on trying to reconstruct exactly what happened and called for any witnesses to come forward.
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