He Murdered His Wife and Son: 88-Year-Old’s Chilling Confession 51 Years Later

Asher Goldstein, an 88-year-old terminally ill resident of Eilat, stunned police by confessing to the murder of his five-year-old son, Saar, in 1974, claiming he acted out of “mercy” due to the child’s cerebral palsy. The confession, made on August 23, 2025, at an Eilat police station, led to Goldstein’s arrest for the drowning at Coral Island in Eilat’s bay, initially reported as an accidental death. Goldstein, who served 11 years of a 16-year sentence for murdering his wife, Levana, in 1976, appeared in Eilat’s Magistrate’s Court, where he detailed his severe health issues, including diabetes and dizziness, prompting Judge Anat Greenbaum to remove his leg shackles during the hearing.

In 1974, Saar, paralyzed in his legs, was reported to have drowned during a family picnic, with Goldstein claiming he found his son floating and rushed him to Yoseftal Hospital. The death was recorded as a “routine drowning” until Goldstein’s recent admission, driven by a desire to “clear his conscience.” He stated, “I pitied him because he suffered from cerebral palsy.” The police representative described the act’s brutality, saying, “Imagine the final seconds of the victim’s life, killed cruelly by his father. The passage of time only complicates the investigation slightly.”

Goldstein’s criminal history includes the 1976 murder of his wife, Levana, aged 38, whom he killed with an iron rod provided by accomplice Israel Omri. Goldstein paid Omri and his son, Ron, 100,000 liras to help stage her death as a car accident by burning her body in a vehicle on the Arava Road. He claimed, “She knocked me down, and we fought. She hit her head and bled heavily,” insisting it was not intentional murder. Ron Omri turned state’s witness, implicating his father. Goldstein’s sentence was reduced from life to 16 years, and he was released in 1988. In 2020, he was convicted of assaulting and threatening a partner, stating, “I served life; another life sentence is no problem,” yet received only a six-month suspended sentence. He described himself as a man of values, saying, “I’m a man of principles.”

Goldstein’s attorney, Nimrod Aviram, argued the case’s statute of limitations expired in 1995, stating, “This is a highly unusual situation. He’s an elderly man, born before the Great Arab Revolt, living alone, hard of hearing, without a caregiver. He could claim he killed Arlozorov. He can barely stand.” Aviram added, “He’s terminally ill, born before Kristallnacht. The offense expired in ’94-’95, and prosecution is impossible.”

The court extended Goldstein’s detention for four days until August 27, 2025, despite police requesting nine. Judge Greenbaum noted, “There’s reasonable suspicion tying the suspect to the offense. His advanced age, visible medical condition, and self-surrender lessen the grounds for detention, but tampering with evidence doesn’t require physical strength, and his criminal past, including his wife’s murder, warrants consideration.”

Levana’s mother, Simcha Elisha, had lamented, “I don’t understand how this could happen. Neighbours heard Levana’s screams and choking, yet no one called the police.” Her sister, Korina, recalled identifying her body at Abu Kabir, saying, “I saw terrible things in the Yom Kippur War, so they let me in.” Neighbours reported frequent violent arguments, with one recalling, “They were always fighting, shouting at each other and the child. The walls were thin; everyone heard everything.”