Murder of Shelly Dadon

Shelly Dadon (Hebrew: שלי דדון) was a 20-year-old Israeli girl from the town of Afula who was murdered on 1 May 2014.[1][2] Her body was found the following day by police.[3]

Murder of Shelly Dadon
Native nameרצח שלי דדון
LocationMigdal HaEmek, Israel
Date1 May 2014 (2014-05-01)
Attack type
Stabbing
Deaths1
AssailantHussein Halifa

Murder and arrest

Dadon's body was found in Ramat Gavriel, an industrial area of the town of Migdal HaEmek. According to her family, she had been on her way to a job interview on the morning of the murder.[4][5] Her corpse was dumped near the location where the body of Yafim Weinstein was dumped after he was murdered in 2009.[6]

On 16 June 2014, with the gag order still in place, police arrested a 36-year-old taxi driver named Hussein Khalifa, who confessed to having driven Dadon to the industrial park and stabbed her to death.[7] Police subsequently arrested Mohammad I'saf of the town of Shfaram, the manager of the cab stand where Dadon got into the taxi, and Hamid Khalifa, brother of Husseim Khalifa. Hamid Khalifa and I'saf were later released. The matter is being handled as a security investigation. Khalifa retracted his confession, but remains in custody.[1]

On 9 July 2014, Husein Ben Yusef Khalifa (34) of Ibillin, a Galilee town, was indicted for the murder. According to the indictment, "Dadon struggled to escape and even scratched Halifa, but was not physically strong enough to get away.[8]

After his arrest, Khalifa said he picked Dadon up after he had dropped off workers in the industrial district of Migdal Ha'emek. Shelly's father dropped her at the junction at Afula Illit, where she was supposed to take a bus to her interview.[9] She flagged a taxi to a job interview nearby, but instead Hussein Khalifa took her to a deserted parking lot[10] and stabbed her to death.[9][8]

Investigation

Most information on the investigation is not publicly known because a gag order was placed on the investigation.[11]

Based on the investigation Shin Bet knew Halifa tossed Dadon's cellphone out the window as he was driving away and sometime later tossed her wallet near the Beduin village of Beit Zarzir, followed by him trying to allegedly cover up the murder by washing the blood off his cab.[10] Shortly after the murder, several Arab youths found and used Dadon's credit card, leading to their arrest.[8]

Israeli security services originally thought the murder might have been criminally motivated due to the use of her credit cards,[7] however they later released a statement stating that the murder was probably committed for nationalistic reasons, after security service conducted further investigation and judged it an act of terrorism.[10][12]

Trial

On 3 November 2014 the trial of Halifa began.[13] Halifa's defense attorney claimed the cabbie admitted to the crime under duress and requested the confession be withdrawn.[14] As the trial began the tape of the moment police believe Dadon was murdered was played.[14]

On 9 September 2015, Halifa was convicted of the murder of Dadon, and sentenced to life in prison. Additionally he was ordered to pay NIS 258,000 in punitive damages to the Dadon family.[15]

See also

References
  1. Ashkenazi, Eli; Cohen, Gili (6 July 2014). "Cab Driver Admits to Suspected Nationalist Murder of Israeli Woman - Then Retracts". Haaretz. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  2. "Shelly Dadon murdered by Arab taxi driver, police reveal". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  3. "Taxi Driver Hussein Khalifa indicted for Shelly Dadon's murder". Ynetnews. 2014-07-09. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  4. Seidler, Shirly; Ashkenazi, Eli (May 1, 2014). "Woman Found Stabbed to Death in Suspected Terror Attack". Haaretz. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  5. Liphshiz, Cnaan (2014-05-02). "Police: Young Israeli woman likely murdered by terrorists". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  6. Hartman, Ben (2 May 2014). "Police, Shin Bet search for perpetrators in suspected terror attack". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  7. Newman, Marissa (6 July 2014). "Suspect held in killing of 20-year-old Shelley Dadon". Times of Israel. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  8. Bob, Yonah Jeremy (9 July 2014). "Israeli-Arab taxi driver indicted for Shelly Dadon murder; motives unclear". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  9. Raved, Ahiya; Zitun, Yoav (2014-07-06). "Police: Shelly Dadon was murdered by her taxi driver". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  10. Oster, Marcy (2014-07-09). "Arab-Israeli cabbie indicted in murder of Jewish woman". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  11. "Family of murdered Afula girl Shelly Dadon: Killing was a terror attack". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  12. Pitrikovsky, Shlomo (21 July 2014). "Shelly Dadon Recognized as Terror Victim". Arutz Sheva. Israel National News. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  13. Bob, Yonah Jeremy; Hartman, Ben (November 3, 2014). "Emotions high at Dadon trial". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  14. Soffer, Ari; Pitriokovski, Shlomo (2014-11-02). "Court Hears Last Words of Murdered Shelly Dadon". Israel National News. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  15. Bob, Yonah Jeremy (9 September 2014). "Shelly Dadon murderer convicted, sentenced to life in prison". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
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