Suspect arrested Will this cold case finally be solved after 30 years?

The case shook the Koblenz region in 1994 - and remained unsolved. Now the authorities have arrested an 81-year-old man who is believed to be connected to the murder of Amy Lopez.

The murder of the American tourist Amy Lopez remained unsolved for more than three decades - now a spectacular arrest has been made. On Monday, investigators arrested an 81-year-old German man in his apartment near Koblenz, as the public prosecutor's office announced on Tuesday. The man is strongly suspected of having raped and killed the young woman.

The murder of 24-year-old US student Amy Lopez is one of the best-known unsolved crimes in the Koblenz area. The young woman from Texas was on a trip to Europe in 1994 and wanted to visit the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress on September 26.

Shortly before 9 a.m., she was seen on the Felsenweg - a popular ascent to the fortress. Just 90 minutes later, playing children discovered her body in a secluded room in the complex, the so-called General Aster Room. Amy had been sexually assaulted and killed. Investigators found severe head injuries, knife wounds and evidence of strangulation.

The perpetrator took these items with him

Several of the victim's personal items disappeared from the crime scene: Amy's glasses, a Timex wristwatch, a silver bracelet, white Nike sneakers and her fanny pack with cash and traveler's checks. The police believe that the perpetrator may have kept these items until today.

In order to obtain new clues, the Koblenz criminal investigation department once again published photos of the stolen items - including glasses, shoes, jewelry and the hip bag. The hope is that someone will recognize the items or remember suspicious observations.

Despite intensive investigations, the case remained unsolved for a long time and was ultimately classified as a cold case. The authorities repeatedly sought publicity via the TV show "Aktenzeichen XY... ungelöst". Most recently in September 2025.

Man arrested, police want to provide information soon

The rebroadcast of "Aktenzeichen XY" brought numerous new leads. According to the police, one of them was particularly concrete: One person claimed to have spoken to a man decades ago who had bragged about having approached a "Spanish-speaking girl" at the fortress and taken her away. Further tips were subsequently received. However, for tactical reasons, the investigators did not initially provide any details.

31 years after the murder of the US student, the case was once again presented to an audience of millions on ZDF. Presenter Rudi Cerne reconstructed the crime and called on witnesses to help. According to the police, this resulted in new, promising leads.

Now a decisive step seems to have been taken: The Koblenz criminal investigation department arrested a man from the region who is suspected of having raped and killed Amy Lopez. It is not yet known what concrete evidence led to the arrest. Further information is expected on Wednesday.