A significant legal development has occurred in the case of Eldar Dayan’s death, following the delivery of a report from the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute to the Sharon District Central Unit (YAMAR). According to Ynet, the findings conclude that due to the condition of the remains, the cause of death cannot be determined with certainty. As a result, police were forced to drop suspicions of murder and abandonment, leading to the decision to release all seven suspects to house arrest.
The suspects, which include two of Dayan’s friends and five others arrested for their alleged involvement in the assault, now face charges for various other offenses, including fighting, vehicle-related assault, and drug use. Dayan’s body was discovered three weeks ago after he was initially reported missing. The police investigation focused on a series of events preceding the discovery of the body near a gas station, including a fight involving Dayan and his friends against a group of youths from Petah Tikva. Security footage from a convenience store showed Dayan injured following the violent incident.
Police sources stated that the evidence in the murder case has been exhausted and that they were unable to establish a sufficient evidentiary basis to file an indictment for murder. However, police emphasized that the decision followed a review of all available evidence. The investigation raised questions regarding the testimonies of Dayan’s friends, Omri Peretz and Maxim Barbrman. According to Ynet, police pointed to gaps in their accounts regarding the timing of police arrival and the disappearance of a mobile phone later found in the home of one of the men in Dimona, with suspicions that data had been deleted. Additionally, evidence emerged regarding Barbrman’s conduct prior to the fight, including allegations of threats and smashing a car window.
Now, due to the legal inability to link the actions attributed to the suspects with the fatal outcome, these events will be re-examined within the framework of emerging indictments. Dayan’s family reacted strongly to the investigation’s findings, and police sources noted that the family expressed great distress upon receiving the official update at the investigative unit’s offices.