Court orders mother suspected of murdering 2 children remain in police custody at hospital

Unidentified 39-year-old mother allegedly stabbed her seven-year-old son, five-year-old daughter to death in their sleep on September 16.

By DANIEL K. EISENBUD
Hadassah hospital 311 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Hadassah hospital 311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
A Jerusalem court ordered on Tuesday that the mother accused of murdering her two children last week in their Talpiot apartment remain in police custody for another eight days, while convalescing at Hadassah University Medical Center from self-inflicted knife wounds.
The recently divorced 39- year-old mother, named as Karina Beryl, made aliya from Moscow last year and lived in a modest third-floor apartment on Ein Gedi Street in the capital. Beryl allegedly stabbed her seven-year-old son and five-year-old daughter to death in their sleep on September 16.
Beryl then attempted to take her own life by slitting her throat and repeatedly impaling herself, but her sister, who was living with the family, intervened. Shortly after police were notified by a neighbor, Beryl was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Following emergency surgery, she was upgraded to stable- but-serious condition, police said.
The children’s father, a musician from Moscow, arrived in Israel a little over 24 hours later to identify the corpses, meet with police and determine burial arrangements.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Tuesday that when Beryl is released from the hospital she will immediately be placed in police custody.
Due to a gag order, few other details have surfaced regarding her background, or the murder and its ongoing investigation.