An 81-year-old man admitted to the 1994 sexual assault and killing of American tourist Amy Lopez during the opening of his trial on Tuesday. The defendant entered his plea in the Koblenz district court in western Germany, where he is accused of luring the 24-year-old victim to a secluded room before killing her.
The case remained a cold case for 32 years until recent advancements in forensic technology allowed investigators to re-examine evidence. Police arrested the suspect in late February at a nursing home in the Koblenz area following a breakthrough involving DNA analysis and a public appeal for information.
According to prosecutors, the defendant, who was 49 at the time of the crime, lured Lopez into a room at the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress on September 26, 1994. The prosecution alleged he handcuffed, sexually assaulted, and strangled Lopez after she attempted to defend herself. The Koblenz Public Prosecutor’s Office stated she died from nine knife wounds to the chest, blunt force trauma from a stone, and strangulation. Children discovered her body in a partially nude state.
Defense attorney Volker Klein stated during the court session that his client admitted fully to the crimes. When Presiding Judge Rupert Stehlin asked the defendant to confirm the admission, the 81-year-old nodded and replied "yes." The defendant’s name has not been released to the public in accordance with German privacy regulations.
For the public and legal systems, the case highlights the role of media and financial incentives in cold case investigations. In 2024, German authorities offered a 2,500 euro reward (approximately $2,700) for information and featured the case on the true crime television program "Aktenzeichen XY." The subsequent tips, combined with the DNA match, led directly to the arrest of a suspect who had been living in a managed care facility. The resolution of such cases often sets a precedent for how law enforcement agencies allocate resources toward long-dormant files.
The trial is expected to last through the summer, with eight total days of proceedings scheduled by the court. A final verdict from the Koblenz district court is currently expected to be delivered in September. Because the defendant has already entered a full confession on the record, the remaining trial days will likely focus on the formal presentation of evidence and sentencing considerations.
What happens next: The court will continue its scheduled hearings over the coming weeks. A verdict and potential sentencing date has been set for September. During this time, the defendant will remain in pretrial detention, where he has been held since his arrest in February.