Man accused of murdering girlfriend, stabbing own mother found fit for trial

A young Ramat Gan man charged in the murder of his girlfriend and stabbing of his mother earlier this year is fit to stand trial, a court heard Tuesday.

A psychological assessment presented to the Tel Aviv District Court assessed that Amit Almog, 21, did not have any psychiatric issues when he allegedly strangled to death 22-year-old Maya Vishniak in his Ramat Gan home on May 16.

Members of Vishniak’s and Almog’s families were in the courtroom during the hearing. A video feed of the proceedings was provided by the court to an adjacent room for those who were not permitted to be in the courtroom, due to restrictions aimed at preventing the coronavirus’s spread.

Judge Maayan Ben Ari read out parts of the psychological assessment, most of which was covered by a gag order, highlighting the opinion that Almog was able to distinguish right from wrong and to follow the legal proceedings against him.

“In light of all the above, there is no evidence that he was in a psychotic state during and after the date of the offenses attributed to him in this case. Therefore, in our opinion, he was able to distinguish between good and evil and right and wrong, and to refrain from and control the acts attributed to him in this case,” Ben Ari read to the court.

Along’s defense team has argued that Almog heard voices telling him what to do.

During the hearing Vishniak’s family shouted at Almog, with her father Ariel calling out to him: “Shame on you, shame and disgrace, yes, look me in the eyes now!”

The court ordered that Almog be held until the end of proceedings.

According to the murder indictment against Almog, filed last month, he grabbed Vishniak’s throat and obstructed her mouth, choking her until she died.

He then filmed Vishniak’s body and himself while he was singing and dropping banknotes on her, and sent the footage to his friend, the indictment said.

Some two hours after the killing, Almog’s mother arrived at their apartment. Almog asked if she wanted to see Vishniak sleeping, took her to the bedroom, and then grabbed her throat from behind and stabbed her in the face and upper body.

His 50-year-old mother begged for her life, told him several times that she loved him, and he eventually stopped his assault. She suffered mild wounds. He was arrested later that day near the apartment where the incident took place.

The indictment said the motive for the murder isn’t known to authorities. It stressed that Almog’s actions had been planned ahead of time. He hid the kitchen knife in a bedroom drawer immediately after murdering Vishniak, intending to use it against his mother.

Vishniak, who is survived by her parents and three brothers, returned several months ago from a post-army trip with friends to East Asia.

Hebrew-language media described her as a gifted young woman who had been enrolled in a special program at Bar-Ilan University since elementary school. She played many musical instruments and loved drawing.