The Michigan tourist who has admitted to raping and murdering a fellow American in Germany last year claims his victims had ‘attacked’ him first.
Troy Bohling, 31, attacked Eva Liu and Kelsey Chang, aged 21 and 22, last June near the Marienbruecke, a bridge over a gorge close to the castle that offers a view of Neuschwanstein Castle.
He lured the women away from a hiking path and then allegedly pushed Liu to the ground, choked her unconscious and attempted to rape her, prosecutors at his trial in Germany said.
Chang attempted to intervene, but she was pushed off of a slope with a 165ft drop, which caused her significant injuries, prosecutors claim. Liu later succumbed to her injuries.
But an investigator told the Kempten Regional Court on Monday that Bohling stated he had ‘been attacked by the two’ University of Illinois graduates shortly before the fatal altercation and feared they were trying to push him off the mountain.
Bohling last week admitted to charges of murder, rape with fatal consequences, attempted murder and possession of child porn at the start of his trial. He faces life in prison, with a possible verdict due in mid-March.
Troy Bohling, 31, admitted to attacking two American tourists in Germany last year. But his trial heard yesterday that Bohling, pictured with his sister, claimed his victims ‘attacked’ him first
Bohling lured Eva Liu (pictured) and her friend Kelsey Chang away from a hiking path. He then allegedly pushed Liu, 21, to the ground, choked her unconscious and attempted to rape her, prosecutors at his trial in Germany said.
Kelsey Chang (pictured) attempted to intervene, but she was off of a slope with a 165ft drop, which caused her significant injuries, prosecutors claim
Bohling attacked the women on June 14 last year near the Marienbruecke, a bridge over a gorge close to the castle that offers a view of Neuschwanstein castle (pictured). The castle is said to be in the inspiration for the castles in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella movies
‘The suspect stated that he had been attacked by the two of them shortly before,’ the investigator dealing with the preliminary proceedings told the court on Monday.
‘He assumed they were trying to push him down the slope. He wrestled with both of them.’
But Chang told the court: ‘We all slipped on a slope. He suggested we go to his viewpoint, which was worth it. I led the way, then I heard Eva screaming, “Kelsey, call 911!”
‘The attacker sat on top of her and choked her with both hands. I tried to pull him away, kicked him and punched him.
‘He grabbed me by the neck and pushed my head towards the slope. Then I fell.’
Chang recalled how she was hiding in fear and calling emergency services when Liu also fell 165ft down to her.
She added: ‘She was still alive, but her breathing was weak. Her pants were missing, and her T-shirt was pushed up.’
Liu and Chang were on a once-in-a-lifetime trip that had already taken them to Spain and Italy when they met Bohling near Neuschwanstein Castle, said to be in the inspiration for the castles in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella movies.
The attack happened on June 14 last year near the Marienbruecke, a bridge over a gorge close to the castle that offers a view of Neuschwanstein castle
Bohling is pictured being led into the courtroom at the regional court in Kempten, southern Germany on February 19, 2024. Last week he admitted to charges of murder, rape with fatal consequences, attempted murder and possession of child porn at the start of his trial. He faces life in prison, with a possible verdict due in mid-March
Troy Bohling being led away by the police in handcuffs. He fled the scene but was caught after a police operation involving 25 emergency vehicles
After the visit to the popular tourist spot, set in remote woodlands, Bohling persuaded the two friends to join him at a scenic viewing point, the court heard.
‘That’s enough adventure for today,’ he is said to have remarked to the women, before offering to take them to a nearby viewing point on the way back to the castle, according to prosecutors.
Bohling, the CEO of an underwater robot company in Lincoln Park, then allegedly turned on them and began to attack Liu by undressing and attempting to rape her.
When Chang tried to help her, a scuffle ensued and Bohling allegedly pushing her down a steep slope and into a ravine. She fell about 165 feet and sustained a head injury, bruises and grazes but survived.
He then allegedly strangled Liu until she was unconscious and raped her, prosecutors said, before pushing her down the slope as well.
When mountain rescue workers found the two women, Chang was injured but able to talk. Her friend described her as ‘gasping’ after the fall.
Liu was seriously injured and taken by helicopter to hospital, where she died later that night as a result of her injuries.
Other tourists witnessed the assault and later filmed Bohling as he was led away in handcuffs by police. The suspect was not named locally because of Germany’s privacy laws.
Liu, from Naperville, Illinois and Chang, from Bloomington, Illinois, were both recent graduates of the University of Illinois. Liu is pictured in one of her graduation photos
Bohling, pictured standing in the dock behind his lawyers in a courtroom at the district court in Kempten on February 19, allegedly photographed and filmed key scenes of his crimes
Bohling photographed and filmed key scenes of his crimes, German newspaper Daily Bild reported.
The rescue operation and his subsequent arrest took place in front of hundreds of tourists, according to the publication.
Bohling lived with his brother Trevor in a single-story house about 20 minutes from Detroit.
Neighbors described him as ‘quiet’ and not very friendly and said the brothers were often away for long periods of time.
They assumed the pair worked in oil fields.
The brothers mostly stayed inside, only being seen outside to ‘walk their cat on a leash in the garden’, the neighbor added. ‘The family is weird. Troy would never look you down in the eye when he came and went.
‘I’m shocked what he’s been accused of, I’m scared he may have done stuff here and no one has figured it out yet.’
In June, his mother Mary Bohling told Bild: ‘My son is not in Germany at all. We have to find out what happened – we won’t comment.’
Bohling (second from left) in a family photo with his brother Trevor, his sister Toni and his mother Mary
After luring them away from a hiking trail to a vantage point, Bohling pounced on Liu and threw her to the ground where he attempted to rip her clothes off and carry out ‘sexual acts’, according to the statement. When her friend went to try and help, he threw her down a steep slope ‘knowing she would be fatally injured’
When Chang tried to help her friend, a scuffle ensued and Bohling allegedly pushing her down a steep slope and into a ravine. She fell about 165 feet and sustained a head injury, bruises and grazes but survived. Pictured: The slope near the Neuschwanstein Castle
Bohling attended Allen Park High School near Detroit with former classmates describing him as rather shy and inconspicuous boy that played in the school band and had a girlfriend.
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.
A former friend of the alleged killer, who he had spent several summers in a camp with, said he was ‘introverted, shy, quiet and a little peculiar’ but ultimately friendly.
He said doing something like the attack in Germany would be unlike ‘the Troy he knew ten years ago.’
Court records show that in 2016 he faced a charge of embezzlement, but there was no prosecution and the matter was dropped.