Cold‑Case Break: 81‑Year‑Old Arrested Over 30‑Year‑Old Murder

A murder that shocked a German town in the mid‑1990s finally has a suspect. In 1994, the body of Amy Lopez, a 24‑year‑old student from Texas, was found near the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress in Koblenz. Children had discovered her partially naked, badly bruised head and multiple stab wounds. The crime was brutal: she was strangled, struck with a stone and stabbed many times. The case stayed open for three decades. Advances in DNA testing let investigators revisit the evidence and, this week, they arrested an 81‑year‑old man living in a retirement home. The suspect had been convicted in 1999 for an attempted rape of a teenager, and his DNA was on record. After the original data were deleted, police collected fresh saliva from him and matched it to DNA found in Lopez’s jeans.The breakthrough came after a TV show highlighted the cold case and a reward of 2, 500 euros was offered. Tips from viewers helped the police link the DNA to the suspect. The authorities say they will keep searching for answers, but the arrest gives a new sense of closure. The suspect is now held in pretrial detention on charges of premeditated murder. The investigation shows that, even after many years, justice can still be pursued.