Maoz, still incarcerated, re-arrested over letter

On trial for the murder of his parents, Daniel Maoz will lose numerous privileges after second arrest.

By MELANIE LIDMAN
Daniel Maoz at J'lem District Court 150 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Daniel Maoz at J'lem District Court 150
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Daniel Maoz, suspected of murdering his parents last August, was re-arrested on Monday morning for allegedly sending an anonymous letter to the court claiming that an additional witness saw his twin brother Nir carry out the murders.
Police suspect Maoz sent the letter through an intermediary in a last-ditch attempt to implicate his twin brother in the murder.
Police have accused Maoz of stabbing his parents, Nurit and Noah Maoz, to death with a kitchen knife in their home in Jerusalem’s Ramot neighborhood on August 11 in an attempt to get an inheritance to pay off massive gambling debts.
He was arrested a month after the murders, but in a surprising move, he accused his twin brother, Nir, of carrying out the murders. The identical twins share DNA, which was found at the site of the murder.
The letter was sent July 10 to state prosecutor Yuval Kaplinsky, the Jerusalem District Court and Maoz’s defense lawyer David Barhoom. In the letter, obtained by the media, the anonymous tipster writes that he heard screaming and then saw Nir Maoz run out of his parents’ home at 11 p.m.
“There is no way this could be wrong! It was definitely Nir Maoz,” the tipster wrote.
Police also arrested 38- year-old Jerusalem resident Roni Ben-Arnon, Maoz’s cellmate, whom they suspect printed and mailed the letter.
Ben-Arnon was serving time for traffic infractions, according to deputy police spokeswoman Shlomit Bajshi.
Police arrested Ben-Arnon on Friday and the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court extended his detention until Tuesday.
During the investigation, Ben-Arnon admitted he helped send the letter. He told police Maoz had promised that, once he was released, he would reward Ben-Arnon financially.
Despite the fact that Maoz is incarcerated until his September sentencing in the double murder case, the arrest is significant because it means he will lose many of the privileges awarded to prisoners including TV, phone calls, visits and cooking.
Maoz is refusing to cooperate with the investigation.
Police also said he refused to leave his cell on Monday morning after he was arrested and that they were forced to bring in a number of officers to drag him out.
On Monday, a judge at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s court extended his remand by four days, meaning that, until Friday, Maoz will be treated as someone recently arrested, rather than a long-term prisoner.
Maoz’s lawyer argued that his client is under 24-hour supervision and it would be difficult for him to write a secret letter.