Man indicted for shooting adopted son nine times, stabbing twice in heart

A Modi’in man was indicted for the murder of his adopted son on Thursday morning, having been accused of shooting him nine times and stabbing him twice in the heart, the Central District Attorney's Office said on Thursday.

The victim, Omri Blum, was adopted by suspect Shai Blum and his wife almost 22 years ago. According to the indictment, the victim suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome and was diagnosed as autistic.

The man lived at a home for autistic people in Mevaseret Zion, near Jerusalem, but would often escape to visit his parents. The adoptive parents were ordered by the court to be the victim's guardians, but at the beginning of July, the couple attempted to cancel the order due to difficulty in dealing with their adopted son's behavior.

Police involvement earlier this summer

In mid-July, the victim was brought to the parent's home by police after he had escaped again, though the suspect at first refused to accept him.

The suspect reportedly requested to speak to his adopted son in a nearby forest grove. It is alleged that the adoptive father brought a pistol and three magazines, and the adopted son brought a knife.

They argued under unclear circumstances, the police said in the arrest warrant, and the father allegedly shot his adopted son nine times in the chest. As the victim lay on the ground, the suspect allegedly took the knife and plunged it twice into his adopted son's chest, leaving the blade embedded in his heart.

Police were called to the scene, and the man claimed that he was attacked by his adopted son. After an investigation, Blum was arrested for murder