Police Extend Detention of Eldar Dayan’s Friends Amid Conflicting Murder Theories and Missing Body Questions

The investigation into the death of Eldar Dayan remains unresolved as police continue to detain his two friends, Omri Peretz and Maxim Barberman, suspected of his murder. On August 9, a Petah Tikva court extended their detention by eight days, until August 19, despite police requests for a ten-day extension. Authorities await the final forensic report from the Institute of Forensic Medicine, expected in about a week and a half, to clarify the cause of Dayan’s death.

The case centers on conflicting accounts of events leading to Dayan’s disappearance and death. The three friends were involved in a fight with a group of youths near a gas station, after which Dayan was last seen alive with Peretz and Barberman. The suspects claim Dayan was injured in the fight, and during a subsequent police chase, they fled on foot into open terrain, eventually separating from Dayan, whom they lost contact with. They deny harming him and say they later joined search efforts.

Police have questioned inconsistencies in the suspects’ statements and their behavior after Dayan vanished. A recorded conversation between Peretz and Barberman revealed anger toward Dayan and threats if he returned, though they claim they believed he was hiding. Defense attorneys argue there is no forensic evidence linking their clients to the murder, highlighting the puzzling fact that Dayan’s body was found only after multiple searches, raising questions about whether the remains were present throughout or placed later.

The investigation also revisits the fight’s circumstances, including whether a drug deal was involved, though police have not confirmed this. The suspects’ vehicle was unlicensed and uninsured, and they changed its license plates after the fight. The forensic findings will be crucial in determining whether Dayan died from injuries sustained in the fight or from later events.

Dayan was buried in Eilat with hundreds attending. His family criticized the initial handling of the case and expressed heartbreak over the prolonged search, noting they passed near the body’s location without finding it. The police continue to piece together the critical timeline from the fight to the moment Peretz and Barberman left the area without Dayan, as the investigation remains active.