State indicts Jerusalem mother accused of murdering two kids

Police say Carina Brill told investigators she had killed her children because she was "not a good mother."

By YONAH JEREMY BOB
Murder suspect Carina Brill 370 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
Murder suspect Carina Brill 370
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
The Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office filed an indictment on Sunday against Carina Brill for the murder of her two children in their Talpiot, Jerusalem apartment last month.
Brill, a 36-year-old divorcée from Moscow, is accused of murdering her son, Igor, seven, and her daughter, Miri, five. She has said that she killed them because she was “not a good mother.”
Following are the details of the alleged murder and events leading up to it, as described in the indictment: In August, Igor told a camp counselor about being physically abused by his mother, and had outwardly noticeable bruise marks on his neck. When confronted, Carina admitted that she had abused him and accepted a suggestion to get counseling from social services.
Despite the social services counseling, Brill tried to commit suicide by cutting her throat with a knife over the Rosh Hashanah holiday, leaving a scar.
In the days before Brill allegedly killed her children, she spoke to a friend – referred to in the indictment only as “Gali” – and discussed her difficulties. Brill showed her friend the cut on her neck and said, “see what I did to myself.”
Concerned by Brill’s state, Gali notified social services, which set up an appointment for a house visit on September 16.
Shortly before the visit, Carina told her sister, Nadia, who was spending the night with them, that she suspected the social services worker wanted to take her children away, and that she would harm them herself before she allowed anyone to do that.
Hours before the social services visit on September 16, she stabbed and slit her children’s throats.
When Nadia heard the children screaming, she allegedly ran to the children’s bedroom to see what was happening. When Carina saw Nadia, she attempted to kill herself.
Nadia struggled with Carina until Carina forced Nadia out of the apartment and locked the door.
Nadia ran to a next-door neighbor and called for help from the police.
The prosecution has requested to remand Brill to police custody until the end of the proceedings, and the court will decide the issue on October 29.Daniel K. Eisenbud contributed to this report