Police shocked over apparent murder-suicide; Michael Fischer buried apart from wife and kids.
By YAAKOV LAPPINhod hasharon cop police murder 224 88(photo credit: Channel 10)
Stunned police investigators are at a loss to explain why an esteemed colleague apparently shot dead his policewoman wife and two young children on Thursday morning before turning his gun on himself.
Supt. Michael Fischer, 29, described as a rising star in the force, served with Ramle Police's Central Unit. His body, together with that of his wife, Dep-Insp. Hila Fischer, 30, who served with the Hod Hasharon police, was found in the couple's Hod Hasharon apartment, in a case which has rocked the police and left neighbors in a state of shock.
The couple's two-year-old son, Yuval, and two-month-old baby girl, Yarden, were found dead with gunshot wounds in their room.
"It was horrific," said Naftali Smoler, Head of Staff for the Zaka rescue and recovery service in Hod Hasharon, as he described the murder scene.
Hod Hasharon Deputy Mayor Gideon Sa'adi, a Zaka volunteer, said the crime scene was the worst he had ever encountered. "All of Hod Hasharon is in shock," he said. Behind him, neighbors stood in small groups looking bewildered.
Approximately two hours passed between the time neighbors said they heard shots and the arrival of police officers, who climbed into Fischer's apartment from a neighbor's balcony. The officers quickly dispatched Magen David Adom paramedics and Burial Society staff to the scene.
Police have so far offered no explanation for the deaths. Hod Hasharon's fraud unit took the lead in the investigation, setting up a mobile lab at the apartment and gathering forensic evidence.
Computers were also analyzed as police desperately hunted for clues.
The couple were reportedly not facing financial difficulties and were not known to have loud confrontations. Hila hailed from a proud police family - her father is the former Central District Police chief, Cmdr. (ret.) Yehuda Bahar.
"I saw them in the elevator, I knew Hila," said one female neighbor who lived on the fifth floor, one floor above the Fischers. "I can't believe this happened to such a high-achieving family, a family of senior police officers. I'm in shock," the neighbor said.
"I never heard them have any arguments. They seemed very nice. They always said hello. She had a baby girl - the last time I saw her was when she had just given birth," the neighbor added.
Colleagues of the couple in the police struggled to understand what had happened. "This is a sad day for the Israel Police," Sharon Police chief Dep.-Cmdr. Kobi Cohen said.
Cohen was one of the first to enter the apartment and encounter the bodies. "During the morning we became concerned when one of our police officers did not arrive at work. We found all of the family members dead after visiting the apartment," he added. "We are checking all directions at this time.
The central avenue of inquiry is murder and suicide," he added.
Police colleagues who knew Michael and Hila described them as a happy couple who had exhibited no visible warning signs. The investigation is ongoing.
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