Man Indicted for Brutal Murder of Creditor Over Debt

Prosecutors have indicted Salah Othman, 48, from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Al-Tur, for the murder of Fatima Al-Rajabi. The indictment, filed at the Jerusalem District Court, charges Othman with aggravated murder, destruction of evidence, and theft and fraud using a payment card. He is also accused of gambling-related debts that led to the crime.

According to the indictment, Othman owed Al-Rajabi approximately 90,000 shekels, which she had lent him over the years for a supposed washing machine repair business, though he allegedly used the funds for gambling. When Al-Rajabi pressed him for repayment, Othman decided to kill her. Days before the murder, he purchased a metal barrel to conceal her body and hid it in a storage area at his home.

Approximately three weeks ago, Othman met Al-Rajabi in Al-Eizariya, offering her a ride to his home in Al-Tur under the pretense of repaying her. Upon arriving near his house, and as she continued to demand her money, he took a hammer from his car trunk and struck her on the head. He delivered a second blow when he noticed she was still moving, resulting in her death.

Following the murder, Othman transported the body in his car through Jerusalem and Tel Aviv before placing it in the pre-purchased barrel and pouring an insulating substance over it to prevent discovery. He also stole her payment card, withdrawing 15,000 shekels from her account, and disposed of the hammer and phones he used to erase evidence and evade police. Othman hid for several days before a relative turned him in to the police. His detention has been extended pending legal proceedings.