Amy Lopez killer jailed for 1994 rape and murder

A German court sentenced 81-year-old Hans S. to life in prison on Friday for the 1994 rape and murder of US tourist Amy Lopez.

Lopez, 24, was found dead near the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress on the Rhine river in the western city of Koblenz. Her body was discovered by children and had stab wounds, severe head injuries and injuries consistent with strangling.

Police were initially unable to identify the perpetrator. In February, three decades after the killing, they announced the arrest of a suspect, named only as Hans S., at a retirement home.

Prosecutors said police obtained a new saliva sample from Hans S. that matched a DNA trace found on Lopez's clothing. His DNA had previously been on file after a 1999 conviction for attempting to rape a 16-year-old girl, but the genetic data had later been deleted.

Koblenz's regional court found Hans S. guilty of rape and murder. It found that he had led Lopez onto a secluded path under the pretext of showing her the way to a youth hostel.

The court said the circumstances of the killing meant he bore a "particular gravity of guilt", which will make it harder for him to be considered for early release. Lopez's family were co-plaintiffs in the case.