Eduard Kachura is set to be indicted with the aggravated murder of 17-year-old Lital Yael Melnik on October 2, 2021, an Israel Police spokesperson stated on Thursday morning .
Following a police investigation, a prosecutor's statement will be submitted against the 49-year-old psychiatric nurse who is the lead suspect in the murder case.
The Haifa Magistrate's Court and Haifa District court have been battling over the issue for the past few days after the Magistrate's Court ruling which released Kachura to house arrest was overturned by the District Court later that same day.
The District Court will now submit the prosecutor's statement to the Magistrate's Court in order to extend his detention before filing an indictment for aggravated murder.
Additionally, they will also file a request to keep him in detention until the end of the legal proceedings against him.
Kachura first met the teenage girl during her hospitalization at the Ma'ale Carmel Psychiatric Hospital, where he was employed as a psychiatric nurse. He became involved with her romantically and sexually, and the two continued to see each other even after her release from the hospital.
Melnik's body was discovered partially buried in a construction site on October 2, a day after she was reported missing by her grandmother. The grandmother had also previously filed a restraining order against Kachura, who was in a relationship with Melnik.
An investigation into the suspect revealed evidence in his apartment linking him to the scene of the murder, and these were taken for a detailed investigation in conjunction with forensic investigators.
The investigation further revealed that Melnik was buried alive in the pit where she was found. The two had arrived at the construction site earlier that evening and proceeded to dig several holes in the area until one deep enough was dug.
The victim then entered one of the pits, although whether she initially chose to enter by choice or by force is unclear. However, the suspect continued to hold her there by force until her death. He then left the scene of the murder shortly afterward. Kachura has denied any connection to the murder.
The victim's sister, Ruth Melnik has argued against the court's initial hesitancy to indict Kachura over the last several weeks. In a post shared by KAN News she wrote: "A 50-year-old man, and a nurse in a hospital no less, buried a 17-year-old girl in the sand until she could no longer breathe, and then ran away. How is that not murder?"
Following the decision to indict Kachura, KAN reported the family's response, in which they stated that "the decision of the State Attorney's Office is a first and important step in prosecuting the suspect and obtaining justice for the late Lital Yael, whose young life thread was interrupted at the age of 17 by the cruel actions of those who were supposed to protect her."