Last update - 00:00 14/05/2007
Prosecution to High Court: No reason to reopen Rada murder case
By Eli Ashkenazi, Haaretz Correspondent
The State Prosecution told the High Court of Justice Monday that there is no reason to reopen the investigation into the murder of 13-year-old Katzrin resident Tair Rada
Rada's body was found on December 6, 2006 in a bathroom stall in the Nofei Golan High School in Katzrin, where she was enrolled as a student.
The statement was made in response to the Rada family's petition to the court asking that the case be reopened due to flaws in the initial investigation, and the failure on the part of the police to fully explore all avenues. The State Prosecution argued before the court Monday that the police's investigation had been thorough and comprehensive, and that all the family's claims were wrong.
Some two weeks ago, the police decided to partially reopen the investigation.
The new lead pulling the partial reopening of the investigation was writing that was found on the victim's body. The word "HURT" had been written in purple marker on the back of Rada's hand, and underneath it were written in Hebrew the words "English notebook."
The Rada family's attorney Shira Maroz has argued in the past that the handwriting was never inspected or matched to the victim's. It was assumed that Tair Rada had written the words, but Maroz argued that the possibility that the killer had written them was never ruled out.
According to Maroz, the family was surprised to learn the police were planning to reopen the case.
The police compared a sample of the victim's handwriting with the writing on her hand, and concluded that she had written the words.
The State Prosecution reiterated Monday that both the prime suspect's confession, and his description of the murder, point to his guilt.