Suspect Confesses to Murdering Jerusalem Woman, Hiding Body in Barrel

New details have emerged in the investigation into the murder of Fatima Al-Rajabi, a 61-year-old resident of Jerusalem. Authorities suspect a man killed her and hid her body in an industrial barrel near his home in the Al-Tur neighborhood. Al-Rajabi was last seen leaving her home and getting into a vehicle belonging to the suspect before she disappeared.

After a five-day search, the suspect turned himself in to the police, confessed to the crime, reenacted the events, and led investigators to the body's hiding place. During interrogation, he stated he was intoxicated at the time of the murder. Police also revealed security footage showing the suspect using Al-Rajabi's credit card to withdraw cash after her death.

Investigators believe the motive for the murder may be a financial debt of tens of thousands of shekels, and that the suspect and victim knew each other previously. Al-Rajabi's disappearance triggered extensive searches involving Jerusalem police, border guards, and hundreds of volunteers.

Family members criticized the police's handling of the report, claiming the search began too late. However, the police denied these allegations, asserting that the investigation commenced immediately upon receiving the report, running parallel to field searches and evidence collection.