Two women suspected in deadly Jerusalem stabbing named; allegedly ordered hit on victim

Two women suspected of involvement in the lethal stabbing of a young man in a Jerusalem vacation rental over the weekend were identified Wednesday as Linor Sasson, 50, and Shilat Houta, 19, after a judge lifted a gag order on their names.

A third woman, who remains unnamed, is also under arrest.

All three are suspected in the violent death of 19-year-old Jerusalemite Benayahu Razi, who was found critically wounded Saturday night in the Nachlaot neighborhood, alongside his friend, who was lightly injured.

Medics took Razi to the hospital, where he died of his wounds within a short time, police said Saturday.

According to Hebrew outlets, 50-year-old Sasson is a known criminal and recently served a 21-month jail sentence after being convicted of fraud and extortion for her involvement in a high-interest loan scheme.

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Police reportedly believe the older woman summoned the perpetrators of the stabbing to the Airbnb after receiving a call from Houta, who claimed Razi and his friend beat her and the third woman at the vacation rental. The unnamed woman is a 19-year-old soldier who claimed in court that she was in a relationship with the deceased, a claim his mother denies.

The homicide is reportedly linked to a feud between the victim and the unnamed woman.

A police representative said of Houta during her Sunday remand hearing in the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court: “She ordered the murder. After they were [allegedly] attacked in the apartment by the two young men, she resolved to take revenge.”

Police arrested Sasson, Houta and the unnamed woman on Sunday morning. Three minors from Jerusalem, suspected of carrying out the stabbing itself, were arrested around the same time.

Investigators believe the three detained minors entered Razi’s Airbnb unit Saturday night while armed with kitchen knives and other weapons, then attacked the victim and his friend, Channel 12 reported.

Though the Jerusalem District Court lifted the gag order on the unnamed third woman’s identity on Wednesday, the judge also issued a stay of execution so the woman could appeal the decision.

Razi’s mother Dikla denied the suspects’ allegations that her slain son had beat the two women and further insisted that he was never in a relationship with the unnamed woman, claiming she had stalked him for years, motivated by unrequited romantic feelings.

Speaking to Ynet, the bereaved mother said Razi had obtained several restraining orders against the woman, changed his phone number and went so far as to move apartments to escape her.

She recounted helping her son contact police last year over the alleged stalking. “The writing was on the wall; we were warned. I don’t know why nothing was done about it. As far back as August 2025, I passed material over to the police,” she told the Hebrew outlet.

Police are continuing to investigate the fatal stabbing.

In a statement carried by Hebrew outlets, Houta’s defense attorney Amit Weizmann denied the suspicions against her, claiming she was arrested “for no reason.”

“She endured an episode of severe violence, at the end of which she sought to leave the apartment with her belongings, and is in no way related to the violent incident that led to a person’s death,” the lawyer said.