Northern Israel quadruple murder suspect: 'I ask God for forgiveness'
Court orders suspect in murder of his wife and 3 children to undergo psychological evaluation.
By JPOST.COM STAFFUpdated: JANUARY 29, 2017 19:20Mother, three children found dead in suspected murder in North(photo credit: MDA)
The man who is accused of murdering his wife, two kids and a neighbor's child that were at his house in the northern town of Migdal on Saturday had his remand extended by ten days at the Nazareth Magistrate's Court on Sunday.During his remand hearing the suspect said, "I ask God for forgiveness."The suspect's state-appointed attorney, Erez Moskowitz, called the incident "a serious tragedy." Moskowitz said that the suspect was ordered by the court to undergo a psychological evaluation.Police are still trying to determine the motive for the murder. The suspect's name remains under gag order as not to hinder the investigation. He was arrested in a field some 250 meters from the apartment where the four victims were found stabbed to death.The victims have been named as 23-year-old Dor Karsanti, who was the suspect's wife, and his two children, 2-year-old Yosef and 8 month old Binyamin, as well as Nahman Atia, who lived next door. Nachman's brother Natan was also stabbed and wounded, but survived.Natan, 10, told first responders that he played dead and was able to escape the scene through a window with only light wounds.Israel Atia, the father of the neighbor boys who were in the apartment during the stabbing spree, was quoted by Channel 2 as saying "the father, who is the suspect in the murders, invited the children to a Shabbat meal."Karsanti's uncle said that there had been no signs that such an incident could occur. "There weren't any problems, there were no signs. Everything was okay, there was nothing peculiar," he told Channel 2.The suspect's family released a statement on Sunday in which they said they were shocked and in pain from the magnitude of the tragedy."We cannot, and will never be able to comprehend and wake up from the nightmare that is encompassing us. We cannot atone for this loathsome act and we all sympathize with everyone's feelings," the statement read. "We ask for forgiveness and absolution, and you, our grandchildren and daughter-in-law, and the son of our dear neighbors, may you rest in peace."
The family added that they would have liked to attend the funeral, but were respecting the wishes of the victims' families not to attend.Nahman Atia was laid to rest at the Migdal cemetery on Sunday afternoon. His brother Nathan attended the funeral after being released from the hospital Sunday for treatment of injuries received in the attack that killed Nahman.Karsanti and her two children were laid to rest on Sunday evening at the town's cemetery. According to Jerusalem Post sister paper Ma'ariv, relatives of Karsanti's husband, the suspected murderer, were not present at the funeral.