EERIE SILENCE
‘Sex fiend’s’ chilling behaviour as cops snared him ‘after hurling two tourists into gorge’ from idyllic castle bridge
A MAN accused of killing a US tourist after hurling her and her pal off a bridge at a famous castle was chillingly silent when he was arrested, a witness said.
The two women, aged 21 and 22, were visiting Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau, Germany, on Wednesday when they were brutally attacked.
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Police said the pair were by the scenic Marienbrücke Bridge - a 300ft crossing over a gorge that offers a view of the popular castle - when they met a 30-year-old man.
He allegedly lured them onto a trail leading to the viewpoint before he "physically attacked" the younger woman.
Cops said her pal rushed over to help her - but the suspect allegedly strangled her before pushing her over the railing of the bridge into the ravine below.
He then allegedly tried to sexually assault the 21-year-old before also shoving her down the steep 160ft slope.
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The 21-year-old woman died after being airlifted to hospital, while her 22-year-old friend remains in hospital with bruises and minor lacerations.
The suspect fled - but he was arrested at the scene after a huge operation.
Footage shows a handcuffed man in a t-shirt, jeans and a baseball cap being led away by officers.
Eric Abneri, a business graduate from the University of Pittsburgh who took the video, said the man appeared to have scratches across his face.
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"He did not say a single word. He didn’t open his mouth - he didn’t mumble,” Abneri said.
"He just walked with the police and that was it."
Abneri said he and friends reached the scenic viewpoint as a chopper arrived.
"I’m honestly absolutely stunned someone is still alive from this," he said.
"It is like falling from the top of an absolute cliff.";
Abneri described it as "a very, very difficult rescue because of those cliffs and because the helicopter came mere feet above the tree line at the top of the hill".
"They did an unbelievable job," he said.
Cops and mountain rescue teams raced to the area in a fleet of 25 emergency vehicles after the horror attack.
Police said the man they arrested was American and described him as a tourist.
A Bavarian police spokesman told that the suspect has "had his say in court".
He said: "We couldn't verify yet which US state the suspect is from. Inquiries are still ongoing via German and American authorities.
"The suspect didn't make any comments to police but in his hearing in court yesterday he did have his say in regards to remaining in custody.
"We don't want to say exactly what he said, however."
Authorities have not identified either the suspect or the victims.
Chief Public Prosecutor Thomas Hörmann told : "The crime happened on Wednesday around 2.40pm.
"The two tourists met the man on a hiking tour east of the Marienbrücke. And joined him.
"He physically attacked the 21-year-old. The 22-year-old wanted to help, so he choked her and pushed her down the slope."
The suspect is under investigation on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and a sexual offence.
The motive for the attack remains unclear, and the 30-year-old man remains in police custody in nearby Fuessen.
It is understood the bridge is open to tourists despite the incident.
Neuschwanstein Castle, which sits on a rock ledge, was built in the 19th century and boasts more than a million visitors a year.
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Thanks to its elaborate design, it served as inspiration for the castle in Disney's 1995 film Sleeping Beauty.
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