Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Brutal Murder of Woman Who Rejected Him

A man identified as Jason Blaze Ouda has been sentenced to life in prison for the aggravated murder of Yelena Granberg, 27, in Rehovot in 2022. The Central District Court in Lod also ordered Ouda to pay the maximum compensation of 258,000 shekels to Granberg's family. The court found that Ouda planned the murder after Granberg rejected his romantic advances. He attacked her in her car, stabbing her more than ten times with a knife he had purchased in advance. The judges noted that Ouda showed no remorse and described the murder as "cruel" and "merciless," stating that he "cruelly cut short the life of Yelena Granberg, a 27-year-old with her whole future ahead of her."

According to the indictment, Ouda and Granberg had been friends for about four years, during which he repeatedly asked her to enter into a romantic relationship, but she refused. Following her refusal, he decided to murder her and burn her body, purchasing a knife and filling two bottles with gasoline. Two days later, he stopped his car in a parking lot near the Rehovot train station, stabbed Granberg multiple times in her neck, back, and hands, continuing even as she tried to defend herself. After the murder, with his clothes and car soaked in her blood, he drove her body to a secluded area, poured a large amount of gasoline on it, but ultimately did not set it on fire.

The court determined that Ouda murdered Granberg "simply because she did not respond to his advances and caused him to feel rejected and frustrated." The judges further stated that he took measures to prevent her identification and disposed of her personal belongings, including her bag, phone, and computer.

During the sentencing hearings, Granberg's mother, Tatiana Granberg, testified that her daughter loved animals and nature, wanted to make the world a better place, and had "many aspirations that will not be fulfilled." Her sister, Nadia, shared that Yelena trusted Ouda, and "this trust she gave him cost her her life." The court concluded that the damage Ouda caused the family significantly exceeds the maximum compensation amount that can be awarded.