BERLIN (AP) — An 81-year-old man admitted to sexually assaulting and killing an American tourist in Germany more than 30 years ago at the opening of his trial on Tuesday, German news agency dpa reported.
The defendant, whose name was not given in line with German privacy rules, admitted to killing 24-year-old Amy Lopez in 1994 in the western German city of Koblenz, the news agency reported.
Prosecutors accused him of “killing a person in a treacherous manner and for base motives in order to satisfy his sexual urges.”
The defense lawyer, Volker Klein, said during the session in the Koblenz district court that the defendant admitted fully to the crime. When the presiding judge, Rupert Stehlin, asked the defendant if that was true, the 81-year-old nodded and said “yes.”
The crime took place Sept. 26, 1994, when Amy Lopez was visiting Koblenz as a tourist.
The prosecution accuses the man, who was 49 years old at the time, of luring her under false pretenses into a secluded room of the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress in Koblenz, where he then allegedly handcuffed her, sexually assaulted her and killed her with nine knife wounds to the chest area.
The suspect allegedly also strangled Lopez with a belt and struck her on the left side of her head with a rock when she tried to defend herself and shouted, dpa reported.
Shortly afterward, children playing nearby found Lopez’s body.
The cold case remained unsolved for decades until investigators analyzed old DNA traces using new methods, ultimately leading to a breakthrough. DNA found on the victim’s waistband and thigh were eventually linked to the man, dpa reported.
The man was arrested in late February at a nursing home in the Koblenz area and has been in pretrial detention since.
A total of eight trial days have been scheduled and a verdict is expected in September.
Defense attorney Volker Klein makes a statement at the regional court in Koblenz, Germany, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, during a recess in the murder trial of an 81-year-old man admitted to sexually abusing and killing an American tourist in Germany more than 30 years ago. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)
EXTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 18, 2026--
Bentley Systems, Incorporated (Nasdaq: BSY), the infrastructure engineering software company, today announced that Andy Rahden, previously senior vice president of Solution Engineering and Services, has been promoted to the role of Chief Revenue Officer. Rahden succeeds Brock Ballard.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260818327045/en/
Since joining Bentley in 2023, Rahden has led the company’s global "success force" consisting of application engineers, solution architects, consultants, and technical account managers. Under his leadership, this team has worked closely with major accounts to integrate new technologies into their workflows.
Bentley CEO Nicholas Cumins said: “As the digital quartermaster of infrastructure engineering, Bentley has a long history of helping firms navigate technology shifts. Leading the adoption of AI in infrastructure requires deep account intimacy and a fast feedback loop with our product teams. Andy’s technical sales pedigree and entrepreneurial mindset make him uniquely equipped to sustain our momentum and drive our next wave of growth from AI. Given our confidence in our full-year outlook, this is the right time for this transition. I want to thank Brock for his leadership and wish him well in his future endeavors."
Before joining Bentley, Rahden served as CEO of educational technology company Shmoop. His previous leadership roles include founding Pluralsight’s Creative, Design, and Engineering group, where he helped scale revenue fourfold ahead of the company's 2018 IPO, and leading global technical sales teams at Autodesk during a phase of significant revenue growth. Earlier in his career, Rahden gained hands-on industry experience in water infrastructure design with Baker Hughes and in sales management for a distributor of SolidWorks. He holds a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Utah.
# # #
About Bentley Systems
Around the world, infrastructure professionals rely on software from Bentley Systems to help them design, build, and operate better and more resilient infrastructure for transportation, water, energy, cities, and more. Founded in 1984 by engineers for engineers, Bentley is the partner of choice for engineering firms and owner-operators worldwide, with software that spans engineering disciplines, industry sectors, and all phases of the infrastructure lifecycle. Through our digital twin solutions, we help infrastructure professionals unlock the value of their data to transform project delivery and asset performance.
© 2026 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley and the Bentley logo are registered trademarks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated. All other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
On August 18, 2026, Bentley Systems announced the promotion of Andy Rahden to Chief Revenue Officer. (Image courtesy of Bentley Systems, Incorporated)
