BERLIN (AP) — A far-right extremist arrested over the killing of a regional official from German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party has reportedly retracted his confession to the killing.

Walter Luebcke, who led the Kassel regional administration in central Germany, was shot dead at his home on June 2. A 45-year-old German man with a string of convictions for violent anti-migrant crimes, Stephan Ernst, was later arrested as the alleged killer.

Officials said last week that Ernst had admitted to carrying out the killing and claimed he acted alone. But lawyer Frank Hannig told daily Bild on Tuesday that "my client retracted his confession today. I won't say more at the moment."

News agency dpa also reported, without citing sources, that the suspect had retracted his confession.