Teen arrested on suspicion of TA lawyer's murder

DNA evidence shows 17-year-old to be behind killing of Anat Flinner two years ago.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Anat Pliner 224.88 (photo credit: Channel 10)
Anat Pliner 224.88
(photo credit: Channel 10)
Tel Aviv police arrested a 17-year-old boy on Thursday after DNA evidence showed him to be behind the murder of lawyer Anat Flinner two years ago. Flinner was stabbed to death outside her home in Ramat Hasharon in April 2006. Before dying during the ambulance journey to hospital, she said a young man whom she did not know had stabbed her. For two years, detectives were left without a lead in the case, until they arrested a boy for stealing a moped. A DNA sample taken from the suspect matched fingerprints taken by forensic officers from the murder scene. Police launched a major undercover investigation, which resulted in the suspect's arrest last week. After initially denying the killing, the youth confessed, providing police with details that proved he was at the scene during the murder. He later reenacted the slaying outside of Flinner's home, wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap. "I'm glad they caught the murderer, but the pain remains... He killed us all, he killed the joy in the family's home," Plinner's mother, Thiya Aharoni, told Channel 2 news. The suspect told police he arrived at Flinner's home and knocked on the door. It was opened by Flinner, and the youth proceeded to demand that she hand over all of the money in her home. He pulled out a knife that he had taken from his father, and stabbed Flinner twice, before throwing the knife and gloves he wore away and escaping, the suspect told police. The suspect's family described him as "good," but police may investigate members of the family for helping him to cover up the killing, Channel 2 reported. "He is a smart boy. His parents are hard-working," the suspect's uncle was quoted as saying. The teenager's mental health was a factor "that needs to be looked at," the suspect's lawyer said. Many of Flinner's neighbors said they were shocked to learn the identity of the killer. Their reaction was shared by a number of students at the suspect's school.