Twin sisters found dead • Man confesses to killing friend, hiding body in dumpster
Man killed in apparent mob hit • Missing British tourist may have Jerusalem Syndrome
In a flurry of violence across the country, twin sisters were found dead in their Ashkelon apartment, a man was arrested after confessing to killing his friend and dumping the corpse at the Hiriya recycling park, and another man was killed in an apparent mob hit in Holon.
On Tuesday morning, two 49-year-old sisters were found dead in their apartment in the coastal city of Ashkelon, police said.
According to spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, police were contacted after the women did not arrive at work or answer their phones.
“When police units and Magen David Adom paramedics arrived at the apartment they found the two women dead,” he said. “An investigation into their deaths has been opened, although one of the women appeared to sustain severe physical wounds.”
Rosenfeld said he could not confirm reports of a possible murder-suicide, although he noted that no criminal activity was suspected.
“An autopsy is being performed, and the investigation into what took place is continuing,” he said.
On Monday night, police said a man was shot multiple times by an assailant riding a motorcycle in an apparent ambush while walking down a street in Holon. He later died of his wounds at the city’s Wolfson Medical Center.
While details of the murder remain unclear, the victim, identified as reputed crime figure Yossi Shriki, was in his 30s.
A suspect was arrested shortly after the shooting, Rosenfeld said, although the spokesman would not confirm that it was mob related.
Ynet reported that the victim, who had a lengthy criminal record, was leaving his home at the time of the shooting, suggesting it was an ambush.
Meanwhile, a 30-year-old man was arrested last week for allegedly killing a friend and hiding the body at Hiriya recycling park on December 31, police said after a gag order on the case was lifted on Tuesday.
According to Rosenfeld, the suspect, identified as Ron Nahum of Ramat Gan, confessed to the murder during his arraignment at Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court, where a judge extended his remand by seven days.
The victim has been identified as Artyom Vilov, 37, who worked as a butcher after emigrating from Belarus.
Police did not confirm reports that Nahum killed Vilov over a purported love triangle.
Separately, The Telegraph reported Tuesday that British tourist Oliver McAfee, 29, who was reported as having been missing in the Negev Desert since November, may have suffered from delusions related to Jerusalem Syndrome, a psychosis-like religious state triggered by visiting Jerusalem.
McAfee was last seen on November 21 in Mitzpe Ramon, near a hiking trail.
According to police, Interpol was initially contacted after his bicycle and other personal belongings were found and no one claimed them.
While Rosenfeld confirmed that McAfee wrote passages from the New Testament on several pieces of paper and rocks that were found, he said it remained unclear if he had a psychological disorder.
“It doesn’t mean he has Jerusalem Syndrome, although he did arrive at the site after visiting the capital,” said Rosenfeld. “We’re still looking in all directions to see what happened to him.”
“He might have left things behind to go off on a two- or three-week hike,” Rosenfeld continued, “but we don’t know for sure, and it’s difficult to understand what happened. I think he is probably lost.”
McAfee is described as thin, with curly ginger hair down to his shoulders, a goatee and glasses.
Police are requesting that anyone who has seen him or knows of his whereabouts immediately contact the Dimona police station at (08) 654-3444.