Man Charged in Killing of Rabbi Amos Guetta *z"l* Deemed Fit to Stand Trial

Prosecutors today (Thursday) filed an indictment against a 36-year-old Netanya resident accused of murdering 75-year-old kabbalist Rabbi Amos Guetta *z"l* at the rabbi’s home in Netanya a month ago.<\/p>

Police and prosecutors said the defendant confessed to Sharon Major Crimes Unit investigators that he murdered the rabbi, telling them during questioning: "He is a false messiah." The indictment charges the defendant with murder under aggravated circumstances, and prosecutors asked the Lod District Court to extend his detention until the conclusion of legal proceedings.

As previously reported, after the murder and during the investigation, the suspect tried to mislead investigators by presenting himself as unable to speak and remaining silent. In one of the investigative tactics used by Sharon Major Crimes Unit detectives, the detainee was heard speaking after asking to drink cola instead of water. 

The murder took place on July 1 at the rabbi’s home in Netanya. The defendant, who according to testimony had previously studied with the rabbi, entered the home, saw the rabbi asleep in his bed, and stabbed him several times. The rabbi’s assistant managed to push him away and was lightly stabbed in the hand. The suspect fled and was captured shortly afterward. The rabbi was taken to Laniado Hospital, where doctors were forced to pronounce him dead.

It should be noted that at the start of the investigation, police believed the suspect might be mentally unstable. However, as part of the process, he was sent for a psychiatric evaluation, which concluded that he is fit to stand trial.