The Central District Court in Lod convicted Jason Blaze Odeh on Wednesday of the aggravated murder of Yelena Gerenberg, finding that he planned the August 2022 killing after she rejected his repeated attempts to turn their friendship into a romantic relationship.
A three-judge panel headed by Judge Ami Kobo unanimously accepted the prosecution’s position and rejected Odeh’s account of the killing, including his claim that Gerenberg had provoked him.
“The totality of his actions leaves no shadow of doubt that he planned her death in advance and wanted it,” the court said, according to the prosecution.
Odeh repeatedly sought a romantic relationship with Gerenberg, but she refused
Odeh and Gerenberg had been friends for approximately four years. During that period, he repeatedly sought a romantic relationship with her, but she refused, the prosecution said.
Following her refusal, Odeh decided to kill Gerenberg and burn her body, according to the indictment accepted by the court. He obtained a knife and bottles of gasoline before driving with her toward her sister’s apartment several days later.
Odeh stopped the vehicle in the parking lot of the Rehovot train station, pulled out the knife and stabbed Gerenberg repeatedly in her neck, back, and hands until she died.
Gerenberg screamed during the attack, but Odeh continued stabbing her until she fell silent, the prosecution said.
He then drove to an open area in Rehovot, placed her body on the ground, poured gasoline over it and returned home. The court noted that, for reasons that remain unknown, he did not set the body alight.
The court said Odeh stabbed Gerenberg more than 10 times to ensure that the murder plan he had formulated was completed.
It also pointed to numerous lies, inconsistencies and evidentiary gaps in Odeh’s testimony in rejecting his version of events.
Odeh faces a mandatory life sentence following the conviction. Arguments regarding his sentence and any additional compensation or penalties will be heard on October 7.
