Israeli police nab suspect in "worst murder in country's history"

Nov 2, 2009, 12:20 GMT

Jerusalem - In a dramatic announcement, Israeli police said Monday they have arrested the alleged murder of a family of six - two grandparents, two parents, and two young children - who were found brutally stabbed to death in a partially burned-out apartment.

The alleged perpetrator carried out the murders - which have been described as 'the worst in Israel's history' - apparently in revenge for being fired from his job as a waiter at the family restaurant in the town of Rishon Lezion, south of Tel Aviv, police said as a gag order on the investigation was lifted.

Demian Olegovich Kirilik, 39, like his victims an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, was arrested on October 23 and has reportedly confessed to his crime and reenacted the murder for police.

His wife, parents and another minor were also arrested on suspicion of obstructing justice and being accomplices after the fact.

The victims, the Oshrenko family, who immigrated to Israel from Uzbekistan in the former Soviet Union in 1990, were killed as they gathered at the apartment on a Friday night to celebrate the third birthday of their oldest child.

According to the police account, Kirlik was fired from his job at the restaurant Dimitri Oshrenko owned, after surveillance footage revealed he had habitually drunk the restaurant's vodka on the job. Oshrenko dismissed Kirlik in front of the other staff.

Police believe Kirlik was determined to avenge what he saw as an insult to his honour. In addition, he also suspected his wife of having an affair with Dimitri Oshrenko's father, Edward.

A third apparent motive for his acts was his belief that a large amount of money was kept at the Oshrenko home.

Kirilik arrived at the Oshrenkos' apartment early on Saturday, October 17 and killed the family grandmother, Ludmilla. He then murdered Edward, before knifing the couple's daughter-in-law, Tatiana.

His fourth and fifth victims were the Oshrenko's two young children, a three-year-old girl and her three-month-old brother.

According to one account, he used brute force to kill the children, plunging the knife so hard into the three-year-old that the blade ripped though the body and tore the mattress.

When Dimitri Oshrenko arrived at the apartment, Kirlik pounced on him and killed him after a brief struggle. He then set fire to the apartment before fleeing.

Investigations of possible motives for the killings led detectives to Kirlik. He was arrested after police were able to connect him to some bloody clothing which was found in the apartment and which did not belong to any of the victims.