Man indicted for murdering his father, attempting to murder his mother

Shlomo Ktorza accused of strangling his father and slitting his throat, then attacking his mother with same intention

Police working at the site of a suspected murder in Hadera on August 27, 2023. (Israel Police)
Police working at the site of a suspected murder in Hadera on August 27, 2023. (Israel Police)

A man was indicted Thursday for allegedly murdering his father and attempting to murder his mother, in a shocking assault while they were visiting him from abroad.

Shlomo Ktorza, 42, was charged at the Haifa District Court with aggravated murder and two counts of attempted murder.

According to the indictment, Ktorza lives in a Hadera apartment that belonged to his parents who resided in France. His father, 80 and mother, 70, came for a family visit at the end of July and spent some time in the apartment with him.

On August 27, 2023, Ktorza’s mother went out to do some shopping, the indictment said. While she was out, Ktorza came up behind his father and strangled him until he stopped moving, according to prosecutors. He then took a knife from the kitchen and used it to cut his father’s throat. With the alleged murder complete, Ktorza ate some bread and drank water, then dragged his father’s body onto the apartment’s balcony.

When his mother came back, Ktorza took the bags of groceries from her. She saw the bloodstains and asked her son what he had done and where her husband was. Ktorza then allegedly grabbed her and began to strangle her. The mother tried to fight him off but he continued to throttle her, and she cried out for help, prosecutors say. A neighbor who heard the screams alerted police.

In the meantime, the accused reached for a knife, at which point his mother ran from the apartment toward the building’s elevator. He pursued her and pulled her back inside, then locked the door. Inside, he renewed his efforts to cut her throat, prosecutors say. Minutes later, police and emergency responders burst in and caught Ktorza in the act, with the knife still in his hand.

The Ynet outlet reported at the time that police tased the suspect four times before he could be subdued and arrested. His mother was taken to the Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in the city to be treated for acute anxiety, but was otherwise unharmed.

Ktorza was arrested and taken to the Sha’ar Menashe psychiatric medical center in handcuffs. While he was at the hospital, and while still handcuffed, he tried to strangle another patient. A police officer who was at the scene pulled him away.

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