Man Charged With Murdering Woman He Owed 90,000 Shekels

Prosecutors have filed an indictment against 48-year-old Salah Usman in the Jerusalem District Court, accusing him of the aggravated murder of Fatima Rajabi approximately three weeks ago. Usman, a resident of the At-Tur neighborhood, allegedly committed the crime due to gambling debts. Rajabi, whom he met through work, had lent him a total of about 90,000 shekels over several years, believing he would use the money to start a business. Instead, Usman reportedly spent the funds on gambling.

According to the indictment, after Rajabi demanded repayment, Usman decided to kill her. He allegedly purchased a metal barrel in advance to conceal her body. He met Rajabi in Al-Azaria, promising to return the money, then brought her to his home in At-Tur where he struck her on the head multiple times with a hammer. Following the murder, Usman is accused of driving around Jerusalem and Tel Aviv with the body in his car before placing it in the barrel and sealing it with a hardening material.

In addition to murder, Usman is charged with stealing 15,000 shekels from Rajabi's bank account using her card, disposing of the murder weapon, and discarding mobile phones. He evaded capture for several days before surrendering to police through a relative. The charges include aggravated murder, destruction of evidence, theft, and bank card fraud. The prosecution is seeking to keep Usman in custody until the trial concludes.