Man who stabbed landlady to death in Jerusalem flat indicted
Avi Dar killed Tzipora Nahamu with 3.5-inch knife over monetary dispute as she was showing Armon Hanatziv flat to potential tenants, prosecution says
An indictment was filed with the Jerusalem District Court on Friday against Avi Dar, who is suspected of stabbing his landlady Tzipora Nahamu to death some two weeks ago.
According to the indictment, Dar, who was renting Nahamu's apartment on Rehov Meir Feinstein in the capital's Armon Hanatziv neighborhood, killed the woman as she was showing the flat to other potential tenants.
Dar, read the indictment, locked the door behind Nahamu and the couple she was showing the apartment to and began arguing with the woman. At some point he took a 3.5-inch knife, grabbed the victim by the hair, threw her to the ground and stabbed her in the shoulder, according to the indictment.
Police at crime scene (Photo: Dudi Vaaknin)
The defendant then waved the knife in front of the couple and threatened to kill them if they tried to intervene. The couple managed to open the front door with a spare key given to them by Nahamu and called the police.
Dar then pinned his landlord against the wall and proceeded to stab her all over her body. According to the prosecution, at this point the defendant decided to kill Nahamu and stabbed her in the stomach and chest.
The indictment said Dar and Nahamu were embroiled in a dispute over the apartment's maintenance. Last January Dar's attorney demanded that she reimburse his client for apartment-related expenses. A few months later the defendent decided to leave the apartment, prompting Nahamu to begin looking for a new tenant.
The court ordered a psychiatric evaluation of Dar, after which it will determine whether he is fit to stand trial.
Dar said upon his arrival in court Friday, "I am sorry for what happened. I am not mentally ill and am fit to stand trial."
A day after the murder Ynet reported that Dar was on trial for assaulting his former neighbors in Kiryat Tivon.
