An American man on Monday admitted to charges of murder and rape after he allegedly pushed two U.S. women down a ravine, fatally injuring one of them near Germany’s Neuschwanstein castle last year.

The 31-year-old defendant admitted to the charges during the start of his trial, the German news agency dpa reported. Defendants in the German legal system do not formally enter pleas to charges.

“The defendant has committed an unfathomable crime,” defense lawyer Philip Mueller said in a statement. The defendant, whose name hasn’t been released in line with German privacy rules, confirmed that his lawyer’s statement was correct but did not answer any questions.