US victims of deadly tourist attack on German castle identified as recent University of Illinois graduates

Two American women who were attacked while walking a trail near a famous castle in Germany have been identified.

Eva Liu, 21, and Kelsey Chang, 22, had traveled to Germany after graduating in May from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, DailyMail.com reported for the first time.

A university spokesperson confirmed in a statement to The independent that Ms Chang and Liu were thrown into a ravine near historic Neuschwanstein Castle in the German state of Bavaria on Wednesday. Liu died from injuries she suffered in the 164-foot fall, while Ms Chang remains in hospital.

Bavarian police said in a statement Thursday that the victims had joined a man along a trail moments before the attack. He allegedly tried to sexually assault them before pushing them down a steep gorge. A 30-year-old American man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and sexual offences.

“Both had just graduated in May and should have been able to celebrate such a significant accomplishment without fearing such a tragic outcome,” the university president’s office said. “Our thoughts are with Ms. Chang as she recovers and with both of their families as they grieve.”

Just weeks before the tragedy, Liu earned a degree in computer science, while Ms. Chang earned a bachelor's degree in computer engineering.

Liu had landed a software engineering position at Microsoft after completing an internship at the company during her final semester, she wrote in a LinkedIn post.

On Wednesday afternoon, the two women were on a hiking trail east of the Marienbrücke Bridge, an attraction just an hour's drive from Munich and popular with visitors for its stunning views of Neuschwanstein Castle. They met a man and joined him on the hike, police said.

“The man then directed the two men, under the pretext, towards a difficult to spot path, which leads to a viewpoint,” Bavarian police said in a statement. “According to the current state of knowledge, an attempted sexual offense must be presumed to the detriment of the 21-year-old.”

Once out of sight, the 30-year-old attacker allegedly tried to attack Liu, prompting Ms Chang to try to defend her, police said.

“The younger of the two women was attacked by the suspect,” police spokesman Holger Stabik told the AP. “The older woman tried to rush to his aid, was then choked by the suspect and then pushed down a slope.”

Both women were pushed 164 feet into a ravine. Liu was airlifted to a hospital in serious condition and died Thursday evening.

Ms. Chang suffered bruising and lacerations to her head, but much of the impact was softened by a tree, according to the Email.

She was taken to the hospital and was still recovering as of Friday morning.

Bavarian police said the attacker was a 30-year-old American national, DW reports. A video posted online shows police leading away a bearded man in handcuffs, wearing a T-shirt, jeans and a baseball cap.

The victims and their alleged attacker were believed to have stayed at the Seibel budget hotel in Munich, staff told the Email.

The suspect appeared before a judge at Kempten District Court, but did not comment on the motive for the attack.

In accordance with protocol, German authorities will not release the name of the suspect in the early stages of the investigation.