Rehovot man suspected of bludgeoning wife to death

Elderly man admits to killing wife with hammer after heated argument over paying caregiver

by Eli Senyor 10.07.09, 08:35 / Israel News

A 76-year-old Rehovot resident is suspected of bludgeoning his wife to death with a hammer while she was sleeping overnight Wednesday.

The man phoned his son a few hours after the act and admitted to killing his wife. The son called Magev David Adom emergency services, who pronounced the 70-year-old woman's death.

Police suspect that a long-running financial dispute between the husband and wife led to the murder.

An initial investigation revealed that the couple had a heated argument Tuesday night after the husband asked his wife for money so he could pay their Filipino caregiver. The wife refused, and the man left the apartment. He returned at around midnight and then murdered his wife in her sleep. The couple's bed was soaked in blood when police arrived at the scene.

MDA paramedic Lion Melamded said the woman was found lying lifeless on the bed, while the husband was in another room.

"From what we could determine the woman sustained a blow to the head from a blunt object, apparently while she was lying in bed," said the paramedic.

Meir Hindi, a neighbor, said the suspect was ill. "I never imagined anything like this could happen to them. I met them at synagogue recently, we spoke and everything seemed fine. I'm in shock," he said.

Chief Superintendent Ofer Dagan, head of Rehovot Police, said the suspect has no prior record of violence.