American tourist who threw two women down ravine near German ‘Cinderella’ castle is REVEALED
Troy Phillip Bohling, 30, is identified as the man who pushed two women into a 50-meter ravine near Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria
An American tourist has been identified as allegedly pushing a recent graduate to his death at ‘Cinderella’ castle in Germany.
Troy Phillip Bohling, 30, of Lincoln Park, Michigan, was visiting Germany on a tourist visa when it was alleged that he pushed two women into a 50-foot ravine near Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria.
He is charged with murder, attempted murder and attempted assault following the death of 21-year-old Eva Liu.
Her friend Kelsey Chang, 22, miraculously survived being thrown into the same ravine after her fall was broken by a tree.
The 30-year-old, who was staying in a boarding house in the town of Oberstof, was arrested on the spot and video showed him being taken away in handcuffs.
Kelsey Chang (left), 22, who survived being thrown 50 meters into a ravine near Germany’s ‘Cinderella’ castle, has left hospital. Eva Liu (right) died of her injuries
Bohling is charged with murder, attempted murder and attempted assault
Bohling fled the scene, but was caught on Wednesday afternoon after a police action involving 25 emergency vehicles
The alleged killer lives in a small house in the town of Lincoln Park, Michigan, (pictured) with his brother Trevor, 34
The police and the prosecutor investigating the incident have refused to name the suspect in accordance with German law.
Bohling lived with his brother Trevor in a single-story house about 20 minutes from Detroit and paid $1,400 a month.
Neighbors described him as “quiet” and not very friendly, saying the brothers were often gone for long periods of time. They assumed the pair worked in oil fields.
A camp chair and snow shovel that stood on the front porch apparently hadn’t been moved in years.
The brothers mostly stayed indoors and were only seen outside to “walk their cat on a leash in the yard,” the neighbor added. “The family is weird. Troy would never look you in the eye when he came and went.
“I’m shocked what he’s being accused of, I’m afraid he may have been doing things here and no one has figured it out yet.”
At Bohling’s family home in Lake Erie, his mother Mary, 54, denied that her son was in Germany.
Two patrol cars from the local sheriff’s office were parked outside.
Mary told the German newspaper Bild: “My son is not in Germany at all. We need to find out what happened – we’re not commenting.’
His father was seen frantically while on the phone.
Bohling attended Allen Park High School near Detroit, where former classmates described him as rather shy and unremarkable.
Another person who only knew him briefly says that the alleged killer spent a lot of time playing the role-playing game “Dungeons and Dragons” in the library in his hometown of Allen Park.
His former classmates at Allen Park High School near Detroit said he was a shy and unremarkable boy who played in the school band and had a girlfriend.
A former friend of the alleged killer, with whom he spent several summers in a camp, said he was “introverted, shy, quiet and a bit quirky,” but ultimately friendly.
He said something like the attack in Germany would be different from “the Troy he knew ten years ago.”
Court records show he was charged with embezzlement in 2016, but there was no prosecution and the case was dropped.
Bohling attended Allen Park High School near Detroit, where former classmates described him as rather shy and unremarkable. He is pictured with his family
Court records show Bohling (left) was charged with embezzlement in 2016, but there was no prosecution and the case was dropped
A relative contacted at the Lincoln Park address declined to comment.
The woman simply asked, “What charges is he facing?” When she was told it was murder and attempted murder, she ended the call.
Prosecutors have said the 30-year-old will be tried in custody in Bavaria and will not be extradited to the US.
Liu and Chang were on the journey of a lifetime after recently graduating from the University of Illinois.
The death of Liu, of Naperville, Illinois, and injuries sustained by Chang, of Bloomington, Illinois, were confirmed by the college.
Police said the two women met the 30-year-old American tourist near Marienbrucke Bridge, which spans a gorge overlooking the castle believed to be the inspiration for Disney’s Cinderella Castle.
He allegedly persuaded them to follow him from a path to a spot commonly used for “romantic” selfies with a better view of the castle.
Investigators said he attacked Liu and when her boyfriend came to her aid, she was pushed into a steep ravine.
The attacker then attempted to sexually assault Liu before pushing her into the ravine, where she suffered critical injuries.
Both women were airlifted to hospital, where Liu died. Chang has since been released from the hospital.
The two women met Bohling at the Marienbrucke Bridge (pictured), a narrow pedestrian bridge that crosses the gorge at 90 meters at its highest point.
Bohling fled the scene but was caught after a massive police operation involving 25 emergency vehicles. He was taken to a police station in the nearby town of Fuessen.
He initially refused to talk to police, but is said to have made a statement to an investigating magistrate before being taken into custody.
The construction of Neuschwanstein Castle was completed in 1886 after almost 20 years. It is located in the Swabia region of Bavaria, close to the Alps and the Austrian border.
It was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who wanted a holiday home to escape from the Bavarian capital of Munich.
He paid for the castle from his personal fortune and through extensive loans, but he never saw it completed. He died in 1886, shortly before it opened.
Since then, more than 61 million people have visited it.