**Title**: American Man Admits to Murder and Rape Near Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle

An American man, aged 31, has confessed to charges of murder and rape in a tragic incident near Germany's Neuschwanstein castle last year. The defendant, whose name remains undisclosed in accordance with German privacy laws, made the admission at the beginning of his trial, as reported by the German news agency dpa.

The defendant faces a slew of charges including murder, rape with fatal consequences, attempted murder, and possession of child pornography, with murder carrying a potential life imprisonment sentence in Germany. The crime took place on June 14 near the Marienbruecke, a popular bridge overlooking Neuschwanstein.

Prosecutors divulged that the defendant encountered two female U.S. tourists, aged 21 and 22, while hiking near the castle and coaxed them off the trail. The sequence of events saw him allegedly assaulting the younger woman before engaging in a scuffle with the elder female, during which he purportedly pushed her down a steep slope. Although the elder woman sustained serious injuries including a head injury, bruises, and abrasions, she managed to survive.

Tragically, the defendant is accused of further violence, as prosecutors assert that he strangled the younger woman until unconsciousness, subsequently sexually assaulting her before pushing her down the slope. The younger woman succumbed to her injuries. Furthermore, authorities disclosed that incriminating evidence was found on the suspect's laptop and cellphones, in form of child sexual abuse material.

Notably, the women had no prior acquaintance with the defendant before the harrowing encounter near Neuschwanstein. Promptly after the assault, the suspect was apprehended by authorities and now awaits the legal proceedings.