Suspect in Bulgarian Professor Murder Admits Inheritance Dispute, Denies Killing

An Israeli man arrested in Israel on suspicion of murdering an Israeli professor in Sofia, Bulgaria, has denied the charges against him during questioning. The suspect, a resident of Bat Yam and a pharmacist by profession with no prior criminal record, admitted to having a dispute with the professor over inheritance matters. He claims he had been caring for the professor's disabled sister for a long time, and she intended to bequeath a property to him in return for his care. However, the professor opposed this arrangement.

"It is true that we had a fight over this issue, but I did not kill him," the suspect stated during his interrogation. He further elaborated, "I took meticulous care of the professor's disabled sister for a long time, and she wanted to bequeath a property she owned to me as compensation, but the professor did not like it."

The murder is believed to have occurred last month in Sofia while the professor, an esteemed biology professor in his 80s with dual citizenship and assets in Israel, was in Bulgaria. Local media reported that the professor was severely beaten at a Sofia metro station and later died from his injuries in the hospital. Initially, authorities suspected he had fallen, but a post-mortem examination raised suspicions of a fatal assault.

The suspect was apprehended in Israel following an international arrest warrant, a result of collaboration between the Israeli Police, Bulgarian authorities, and the State Attorney's Office. He is expected to undergo extradition proceedings to Bulgaria, where the murder investigation is ongoing. The suspect lived as a neighbor to the professor in Bat Yam.

On Sunday, the suspect is scheduled to appear before the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court, where prosecutors will request an extension of his detention pending his extradition to the Bulgarian police for further investigation into the professor's murder.