An American man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Naperville native Eva Liu last summer in Germany.
A German regional court on Monday convicted the 31-year-old man of murder, attempted murder, and rape for the incident which took place on June 14, 2023, near Germany’s Neuschwanstein castle.
Though Germany privacy laws do not identify the perpetrator and victims of such crimes, numerous outlets identified the suspect as Troy Bohling of Michigan, with family members disclosing the names of the women he attacked.
Liu and her friend attacked in Germany while visiting castle
Liu, 21, was visiting the castle with her friend Kelsey Chang, 22, when Bohling lured the two off a trail near the historic Marienbrucke bridge, a popular spot for tourists to view the castle.
Prosecutors said he forced Liu to the ground and assaulted her. When Chang tried to help her friend, Bohling threw her about 165 feet down a ravine.
He then strangled Liu until she was unconscious and raped her, before throwing her down the ravine. She later died from her injuries.
Chang suffered a head injury and bruising, but survived.
Bohling convicted in court on Monday
Bohling admitted to the crimes when his trial started in February.
On Monday, presiding judge Christoph Schwiebacher decided that the defendant’s guilt was particularly severe, calling him “incredibly callous,” as reported by the Associated Press. That makes it unlikely that Bohling would be eligible for parole after 15 years, which is typically the case in Germany.
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