Arrest extended for man suspected of murdering elderly man
A carer suspected of causing the death of an elderly man who was in his care in a Jerusalem nursing home denies the allegations, insisting that the man's death was pronounced ten hours after he ended his shift.
Judge Sharon Lary Bavly explained her decision to extend the suspect's arrest, stating that during the investigation, the degree of suspicion against the caregiver intensified and that there is sufficient evidence indicating that he had injured other elderly individuals.
Nonetheless, the caregiver denied all allegations and claimed that he never hurt any elderly resident, much less caused his death.
He was arrested following a testimony provided by another employee, who saw him leaning over the senior prior to his death, which increased the suspicion that he may have strangled him.
Responding to the allegation, the caregiver claimed that he was merely trying to adjust his oxygen mask.
During the discussion, further questions arose regarding the evidence, as the man was pronounced dead approximately ten hours after the carer's shift ended, and he was only taken from the nursing home on the following day, when the autopsy took place.
The suspect was arrested last Monday, about three weeks after his alleged victim's death. On the day following the elderly man's passing, the suspect was interviewed by the police under caution in light of the other employee's testimony, before being released to his home.
Two weeks later, once the autopsy results came in, he was arrested. The results suggested signs of strangulation and laryngeal fractures, though the final conclusions, as well as other details pertaining to the investigation, are still defined as investigative materials and were not yet presented in court.
The caregiver was born in Britain and he moved to Israel after marrying an Israeli. He has no criminal record.
His attorney noted that the court should check the version of the complainant, stating that if indeed she was witness to suspicious conduct, "why didn't she try to assist the elderly man or call for help? And why did the nursing home wait so many hours before pronouncing his death?"
He continued to claim that his client was not presented with evidence linking him to the act, and that the investigation is mainly focused on attempting to draw a confession.
The investigation also revealed that the death was pronounced at 11:40pm by the on-call physician, while the body only left the institution the following morning. The death, which was considered suspicious, was reported to the police at a later time as well.
As posted on Ynet, the physician was interviewed under caution on suspicion of failure to report. The caregiver's attorney addressed the issue and stated that it is important to understand who had contact with the deceased in the hours prior to the autopsy.
"With all due respect to the court's decision, which ordered my client's extended remand, there is no logic behind the fact that the employee who saw the deceased choking to death only reported the incident half a day later.
"Furthermore, the police confirmed today that several hours had passed until the autopsy… either way, my client insists on his innocence despite police attempts to make him confess, and we believe the ordeal will come to an end soon enough and that he will be released."
The judge, on the other hand, stated that after reviewing "the development of the investigation since the defendant's arrest, the evidence has intensified and in fact, indicates that the incident was not a one-time occurrence."
