DNA Breakthrough Solves 1994 Koblenz Murder of American Tourist Amy Lopez
German police arrested an 81-year-old man in Koblenz for the 1994 murder and sexual assault of American student Amy Lopez after advances in DNA technology and re-examining evidence led to a match between a saliva sample and DNA found in Lopez's jeans. The suspect had a prior 1999 conviction for attempted rape; his genetic data, once deleted, was re-accessed to secure the arrest, and he is now in pretrial detention as investigators continue the case decades after the crime.