Tiberias murder suspect appears in court
Meir Goldstein appears in court a day after being arrested for murdering his ex-wife, severing her head and burning her apartment. Goldstein's attorney: 'He said a divine voice told him what to do.'
Goldstein was seen walking down the street covered in blood and carrying his ex-wife's severed head.
Goldstein appeared in the Nazareth Magistrate's Court Thursday morning, where his defense attorney said that Goldstein was having trouble explaining his actions.
"He said that a divine voice told him what to do and that he received another order from the same voice that only in eight days will his destination be revealed to him and he may explain why," said his attorney.
Meir Goldstein moved to Israel in 1991 from Moldova, when he was eight years old. His parents still live in the former Soviet Union. He served in the IDF and became religious after his service. He had been hospitalized four years ago in a psychiatric hospital.
Yehoshua Avdan, who kneww the victim, told Ynet, "We didn't see any signs (of trouble) from her. She was a very closed woman."
Avdan said that the couple "had trouble adapting to a religious lifestyle and they were alone. They couldn't fit in, so we showed them the way. We invited them for the Sabbath and hosted them. I would visit them at home and he taught my son and bought him a scooter.
"It’s hard for me to hear about such a thing. I can't even begin to digest it. She wouldn't have hurt a fly."
(Translated and edited by Fred Goldberg)
