Daniel Margoshin, 34, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday by the Tel Aviv District Court for the brutal murder of Ilana Azgadian, 35, a Russian tourist who was in the process of converting to Judaism.
According to the indictment, on January 18th, Margoshin entered Azgadian's Dizengoff Street apartment through the roof terrace in the middle of the night. He approached her bed and stabbed her more than 31 times, primarily in the neck and face, as she awoke and attempted to fight back. After killing her, Margoshin set her body on fire and fled to Jerusalem to pray at the Western Wall.
The fire spread through the apartment, completely burning the victim's body. Emergency services found Azgadian unconscious from smoke inhalation, and paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. A dog that was in the apartment was successfully rescued by first responders.
Following an intensive manhunt, police located Margoshin in Jerusalem. When detectives approached to arrest him, he drew a knife and charged at them, prompting officers to shoot him. He was hospitalized in critical condition but survived.
As part of a plea deal, Margoshin admitted to and was convicted of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated assault, arson, and obstruction of justice. In addition to the life sentence, the court imposed a 10-year sentence for arson, a suspended sentence, and ordered him to pay compensation to Azgadian's children.
The court stated in its verdict that "crimes of this nature (aggravated murder) warrant including deterrence as an element of the sentence, which is reflected in the punishment.
Police investigators revealed that while there had been some connection between Margoshin and Azgadian, who had come to Israel from Russia and begun the process of conversion to Judaism, they were still investigating the nature of their relationship at the time of the murder.
The case has sent shockwaves through Tel Aviv's Russian-speaking community and raised concerns about the safety of foreign nationals in the city. The Department of Internal Police Investigations has opened an inquiry into the shooting that occurred during Margoshin's arrest.
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