The murder in the stairwell in Ramat Gan: Life imprisonment for the man who shot his in-law to death

News in brief: The court sentenced Salomon Madmon, convicted of murdering his in-law Yosef Yosefia in 2022, to life imprisonment. The murder was committed against the backdrop of a divorce dispute and custody of their shared grandchildren. The judges determined that the defendant planned the act and acted with cold blood. The defense's claim that Madmon was intoxicated at the time of the shooting was rejected. The defendant was ordered to pay 150,000 shekels in compensation to the deceased's children.

The Tel Aviv District Court today (Wednesday) sentenced Salomon Madmon to life imprisonment for the murder of Yosef Yosefia in Ramat Gan. The murder took place in June 2022, as Yosefia was returning home from Sabbath prayer at the synagogue. Judges Yossi Tofef, Oded Maor, and Maayan Ben-Ari convicted Madmon of murder under aggravating circumstances, as well as weapons offenses and threats.

According to the verdict, Madmon waited for Yosefia in the lobby of the building on Harei Gilad Street. The two went up together in the elevator to the sixth floor, where Madmon pulled out a pistol and fired six shots at Yosefia from close range. Yosefia collapsed and died of his wounds within minutes. At the time, his wife, daughter, and two minor grandchildren were in the apartment, witnessing the gunfire and cries for help.

The background to the act was a family conflict that erupted following the separation of Madmon's son and Yosefia's daughter. Madmon held Yosefia responsible for the rift and sent him threatening messages. In a message sent about two weeks before the murder, Madmon wrote: "Destroyer of families, I swear by my parents' graves. You will pay."

The judges determined that Madmon acted with premeditation. "The place where the deceased was supposed to feel safe became the scene of his death," wrote presiding judge Yossi Tofef. Judge Oded Maor added that the act defies human logic: "A grandfather who murdered another grandfather."

The court rejected the intoxication claim, determining that Madmon's functioning was at a high level: he drove on intercity routes without navigation, parked skillfully, and conducted a logical conversation with police immediately after the act. In addition to the life sentence, Madmon received suspended sentences. The court noted that Yosefia's widow had already received one million shekels in a separate civil settlement. Madmon expressed remorse to the family, stating he suffers daily for the damage he caused.