Last Thursday, bone fragments were discovered in Ein Hod by the Magnus Search and Rescue team, approximately 600 meters from where Itamar Schlesinger's car was found, after he went missing in September 2023.
Following a forensic examination, the remains were identified as Schlesinger's, a 33-year-old from Ramat Gan.
On September 21, 2023, Schlesinger went for a trip in the Carmel Mountains. He arrived in Haifa, continued south, and turned toward Ein Hod in the Zichron Yaakov area.
According to his mother, he lightly hit a pedestrian, continued driving, and was unable to leave the village after encountering a closed gate. That evening, the family contacted the police after receiving a report about an abandoned car registered in their name.
According to a report by Ynet, the Magnus team, led by Ziv Demeter, conducted the investigation through questioning, mapping, and data analysis. In May 2024, a joint search day with the police took place, but with no results. Now, after a search in an additional area, the remains were found.
The Israel Dog Unit, a nonprofit specializing in working dogs that was involved in the search since the disappearance, reported that their searchers, along with the Israel Police, continue to comb the area in the hopes of recovering additional remains. The search is being carried out using highly trained dogs in an execptionally overgrown area of the forest.
An IDU statement emphasized the importance of persistent searches, even years later, and the value of expert anthropological analysis in providing families with answers. "There is consolation in bringing the missing to a proper Jewish burial," the organization noted, while extending heartfelt condolences to the family.
The IDU also highlighted the critical role of media coverage and public participation in keeping missing persons cases alive, thanking journalists and concerned citizens for disseminating Shlesinger's photo over the years.