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Photo: Ahiya Raved
Chen Ayalati
Photo: Ahiya Raved

Man acquitted of murdering his mother

Chen Ayalati, who was charged with the murder of his mother Miriam, was acquitted of all charges against him, prompting some of the court's attendees to break into applause, while the defendant's lawyers burst into tears.

Chen Ayalati, who was accused of murdering his mother Miriam in Kibbutz Mahanaim last year, was acquitted by the Nazareth District Court on Tuesday.

 

 

Some of the court attendees broke into applause when the verdict was announced, while Ayalati’s attorneys from the Public Defender's Office burst into tears. Judge Asher Kola ordered Ayalati to be immediately released.

 

The prosecution sought to convict the defendant based on the testimony of Felicia Vanna, Ayalati’s wife, and on what the judges said was circumstantial evidence.

 

Chen Ayalati acquitted of mother's murder (Photo: Ahiya Raved)
Chen Ayalati acquitted of mother's murder (Photo: Ahiya Raved)

 

"Felicia's testimony could not be trusted nor could the circumstantial evidence be trusted to prove the defendant's guilt beyond all reasonable doubt," the judges determined.

 

One of the deceased’s daughters, Roni Levin, who suspected her mother had been murdered, said after the verdict: "I think the court made a mistake."

 

The other sister, Smadar, said on the other hand that she believed Chen. "I'm glad my brother didn’t murder my mother, and I hope that they find whoever did it," she said.

 

Miriam Ayalati was found dead in her bed on April 13 last year. At first it was thought she had died of natural causes. However, her daughter Roni suspected foul play because she knew the mother had arguments with her son and daughter-in-law. The daughter asked the police to perform an autopsy, which revealed that Miriam had indeed been murdered.

  

Ayalati's wife, Felicia (Photo: Gil Necushtan)
Ayalati's wife, Felicia (Photo: Gil Necushtan)

  

The investigation was conducted by the Central Unit in the Northern District, which arrested the daughter-in-law, Felicia, at the beginning of May. In her interrogation, she incriminated her husband, claiming she had only assisted him after the fact.

 

When Chen Ayalati was arrested, he accused his wife of murder, claiming that he had only committed offenses with the deceased mother's credit card.

 

Eventually, only Chen Ayalati was charged with murder, while his wife was charged with credit card offenses and obstruction of justice.

 

The indictment alleged that due to financial difficulties, an argument broke out between the defendant and his mother, and at its peak, he beat and strangled her to death. Felicia, who heard the fight, arrived at the scene and helped him situate the mother in bed, to appear as though she had died of natural causes.

 

Last week, when hearing the prosecution and the defense's final arguments, the judges gave the prosecutor a hard time. Apparently, there was no set timeline established for the murder, which began in the evening with the argument between the son and his mother. The judges determined that the prosecution's claim regarding the defendant could have been equally attributed to his wife, who was charged with lesser offenses.

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 03.28.17, 12:05
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