Murder suspects in court
Murder suspects in courtIsrael news photo: Flash 90

A husband and wife from the neighborhood of Neve Yaakov in northern Jerusalem have been arrested for allegedly murdering his ex-wife and dismembering her body.

The man, 43-year-old Zev Gorlik, has confessed to the crime. His wife denies involvement.

The ex-wife, Iris Gorlik-Vasiliev, 39, went missing two days ago. Her husband reported her missing and filed a complaint.

Police searched the area and at one point attempted to check Gorlik’s home, but Gorlik did not answer. After noting that Gorlik-Vasiliev’s car was not parked nearby, officers left the area.

They returned the next day after cell phone records indicated that Gorlik-Vasiliev was in the area. Police entered the apartment and found her body in the shower. Some parts of the body had been removed, apparently in an attempt to dispose of the corpse.

Further details of the slaying have been put under a temporary gag order.

Gorlik-Vasiliev’s mother told Maariv that the victim and her ex-husband had not fought, and had spoken as recently as Sunday without showing any sign of tension. She noted that recently Gorlik had stopped paying child support for their two children, ages 9 and 13.

Gorlik’s children with his current wife were in his apartment when he murdered his ex-wife. The children, ages 4 and 2, have been taken into the care of social services.