A man now aged 82, identified only as Hans S under German privacy rules, has confessed at trial in Koblenz to the 1994 murder of American tourist Amy Lopez, ending a mystery that had haunted the city for almost 32 years. He faces a life sentence after admitting to prosecutors' account that he lured the 24-year-old from Texas into a secluded area beneath Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, sexually assaulted her and stabbed her nine times. The case highlights how advances in forensic DNA techniques and a renewed cold-case effort finally broke a decades-old unsolved killing.

Lopez was last seen alive in September 1994 heading to the fortress while touring Europe; her body was found two hours later. A DNA trace recovered from her clothing four years ago, using improved forensic methods, was eventually matched to saliva Hans S voluntarily provided after Koblenz police set up a dedicated cold-case unit and publicised the case, including on a national TV crime programme. He was arrested at a retirement home near Koblenz last February; his lawyer said the case had "weighed heavily" on him and he wanted closure. He had a prior 1999 conviction for a sexual offence but had not previously been linked to the killing. A psychiatric assessment on his criminal responsibility will be finalised by the trial's end, with a verdict expected early next month.