J’lem couple admits to dismembering body, but denies murder

A Jerusalem couple that allegedly murdered their neighbor on Saturday admitted to dismembering their neighbor but denied accusations of murder.

The couple was taken to the alleged murder scene in Armon Hanatziv in southeastern Jerusalem on Wednesday where the dismembered body of Shlomo Sami Marciano, 59, was found buried in a communal garden.

“Yesterday [the police] took him there and he explained to them how it happened and what happened,” said attorney Ariel Herman of the suspect Andre Wallchinsky, 44, his client.

Wallchinsky told police that he killed Marciano, but did not plan to do so, and he acted in self-defense.

“According to his version it is not a first degree murder, it was something that happened without planning and the result and reaction to an attack from the neighbor. If it is true it is not murder and could be even be close to self-defense,” Herman said, adding that he does not know what evidence the police possess that may contradict Wallchinsky’s account.

Walla News reported that the second suspect, Clare Corbelli, 44, said she helped dismember the body after Wallchinsky killed him and then assisted in burying the body.

The couple emigrated from Russia in the 1990s and were in long-running conflict with Marciano. “There was a very long conflict for years,” said Herman, “It was a very bad relationship.”

Police arrested the couple on Sunday on suspicion of murder and attempting to hide the evidence.

The investigation began after two teenagers allegedly saw them pushing a cart holding a large black bag on Saturday and reported the incident to police. A few hours later, a friend of the 59-year-old victim came to the police station to report him as missing.