Clal Building shooter indicted for murdering lawyer, daughter

Tadesa Getahon was unhappy with Natan Jorno's handling of divorce case, and demanded his money back.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB
Klal building, Jerusalem, shooting, (photo credit: isrphoto)
Klal building, Jerusalem, shooting,
(photo credit: isrphoto)
The Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office filed an indictment with the Jerusalem District Court on Thursday against Tadesse Getahon, who is accused of shooting and killing lawyers Natan and Yamit Jorno in their family-owned law office in the capital’s Clal Building last month.
The 50-year-old Getahon, a disgruntled security guard from Ma’aleh Adumim, was allegedly upset about a financial dispute with Natan Jorno, said the indictment.
According to Israel Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, Getahon – who worked as a private security guard in a nearby building – carried out the July 23 murders alone at approximately 10 a.m.
Yamit Jorno, 26, was working at the firm of her father, Natan, 56, to secure the final accreditation for practicing law.
In June 2012, Getahon requested that Natan represent him in a divorce proceeding before the Jerusalem Rabbinical Court, said the indictment.
The indictment said that in exchange for his services, Jorno and Getahon had signed a retainer agreement to pay the lawyer NIS 20,000. Getahon paid NIS 10,000 upon signing the agreement and another NIS 1,600 on July 25, 2012, and he was due to pay the rest of the bill at the end of the case, the indictment stated.
On November 29, 2012, it continued, Getahon came to complain to Jorno about his managing of the case, claimed that he was cooperating with his wife’s lawyer, told him to stop representing him and asked for his money back.
Getahon began screaming at Jorno, banged on a table and threatened him, saying, “This is your end,” the indictment alleged.
It stated that Jorno had responded by asking Getahon to leave, but that Getahon had refused to do so until Jorno called the police; after their arrival, Getahon left.
On December 12, Jorno sent Getahon a letter saying that he would no longer represent him, as per his request, according to the indictment.
On December 23, Getahon sent a letter to the Israel Bar Association (IBA) to complain about Jorno’s managing of the case and asking for its assistance in getting his money returned, the indictment said.
The IBA responded on May 28, 2013, stating that the complaint had been closed since it had found no misconduct on Jorno’s part, the indictment continued.
The indictment noted that on two other occasions, Getahon had come to Jorno’s offices demanding that his money be returned, but Jorno had refused.
On July 23, the indictment said, Getahon entered Jorno’s office at around 9:30 a.m., shot him several times in one room and then shot Yamit several times in another room, killing both of them.
According to Rosenfeld, he was arrested by an off-duty policeman and an active officer who were in the building, and he did not resist arrest.Daniel K. Eisenbud contributed to this report.