Police announced Friday they have completed the investigation into the murder of Daniel Aslan, a 22-year-old discharged soldier from the IDF’s Kfir Brigade and resident of Kfar Hittim in northern Israel, who was shot dead in Tiberias in June.
After a lengthy undercover investigation by the Northern District’s central investigative unit, the case has been solved and indictments were filed Friday against three Tiberias residents. Eliav Elmalich, 27, and Michael Korolop, 32, were charged with murder with indifference, while Moshe Amos, 42, was charged with arson for allegedly torching the car used in the killing.
The suspects chasing Daniel
(Video: Israel Police)
Police released footage showing the suspects trailing Aslan through the streets of Tiberias in a white Skoda before the shooting, as well as the car being set ablaze in a dirt parking lot shortly afterward. Additional photos show the burnt vehicle, 9mm shell casings recovered inside, and items of clothing with gunshot residue that were linked to the suspects through DNA testing.
According to the investigation, on June 8 Aslan was returning from a family birthday party when he was pursued by the suspects while riding an electric scooter. He told relatives outside their home that a white Skoda was following him. When he went back outside to check if the car was still there, shots were fired. Four bullets were aimed at him; one struck, fatally wounding him.
Northern District investigators later discovered that the Skoda had been burned. Police say Korolop paid Amos 5,000 shekels (about $1,300) to destroy the vehicle with flammable liquid.
The indictment charges Elmalich and Korolop with murder with indifference, while Korolop also faces charges of solicitation to commit arson, attempted destruction of evidence and obstruction of justice. Amos was charged with arson. The case is being tried in Nazareth District Court and is led by prosecutors Shani Egozi and Alina Kaufman of the Northern District Attorney’s Office.
Police stressed they have found no evidence of a dispute between the victim and suspects and believe the killing was a case of mistaken identity. “This was a complex investigation using advanced technological means and undercover operations,” said Deputy Commander Eyal Harari, head of the Northern District’s central unit. “We are concluding this with indictments against the killers. Police will continue to fight violent crime with a firm hand, whether in the Arab or Jewish sectors.”
Authorities are still searching for another suspect, 19-year-old Orel Shukron of Tiberias. His identity was made public two weeks ago, and police have warned that anyone aiding him could face up to three years in prison for assisting after the fact.
Aslan, remembered by his family as a beloved son and brother, served in the Kfir Brigade and recently worked in solar panel installation. Friends described him as a warm, athletic young man who dreamed of becoming a fitness trainer.
Attorney Tomer Naveh, representing the three indicted men, said: “We have not yet received the evidence file and will respond after reviewing the case.”