Murder with a Quran book stand: Indictment to be filed against Tamra mosque suspect

In early July, police, alerted by reports of a body in a mosque in Tamra, found the body of Abu Sliman and noted that his head had been severely hit with a metal Quran book stand.

Inside the mosque in Tamra, northern Israel in which the crime occurred.  (photo credit: Via Maariv)
Inside the mosque in Tamra, northern Israel in which the crime occurred.
(photo credit: Via Maariv)

The Northern Branch of the State Attorney's Office is set to file an indictment on Sunday at the Haifa District Court against Saber Himam, a 31-year-old resident of Tamra, for the murder of Samih Abu Sliman, a 49-year-old from Lod, two months ago using a Quran stand.

In early July, police responded to reports of a body found in a mosque in Tamra, where they discovered Abu Sliman's body. His head had been severely struck with a metal Quran book stand found nearby.

Distorting evidence 

The Northern District investigators were assigned the case, revealing that before fleeing, the suspect stole the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) from the mosque to obstruct the investigation and remove evidence.

Investigators analyzed footage from numerous security cameras around the mosque and identified the vehicle that picked up the suspect on a nearby street after the crime.

 Police crime scene tape (credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Police crime scene tape (credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Himam was arrested a few hours after Abu Sliman's body was discovered. 

Throughout the investigation, Himam denied his involvement in the murder and the suspicions attributed to him.

Despite this and the fact that he removed the DVR device, the investigators were able to constitute solid evidence linking him to the case.