Miriam Sharon
Photo: Yedioth Ahronoth Archive
Arrest made in case of Israeli murdered in The Hague—26 years ago
A special unit of the Dutch police for examining cold cases has uncovered new DNA evidence in the murder of Miriam Sharon 26 years ago and arrested a 52-year-old man; this marks the oldest cold case to lead to an arrest for the Dutch police.
Twenty-six years after Israeli Miriam Sharon was found murdered in her apartment in the Netherlands, a special investigation team from the Amsterdam Police has made progress in the case. A 52-year-old man has been arrested for involvement in the murder thanks to DNA evidence.
Sharon emigrated in 1979 after leaving Israel on an extended trip and meeting, falling in love with, and marrying a Dutch painter. They had two children together and separated in 1989. Sharon's last visit to Israel was in August 1990. The following October 8, her body was found in her apartment in The Hague, violently stabbed with a knife. No suspects were arrested at the time.
Sharon was laid to rest in Israel, and her children, then eight and 10 years old, were raised by their father. One of them lives today in Israel.
Yedioth Ahronoth article on Hagenaar police asking Israeli police for assistance
Four months after the murder, the police in The Hague reached out to the Israel Police to ask for their assistance in the investigation. The Dutch Police suspected that Sharon's murderers were Israelis who had fled back to their home country. The case was not solved and it remained open and cold for 26 years.
Recently, the police in Amsterdam appointed a special cold-case squad. That special team decided to go over the physical evidence in the Sharon case and perform new DNA tests. Those tests led to the arrest on Monday of a man for suspected involvement in the murder.
The police released a statement announcing his arrest and only revealed his age (52) and that he would be indicted on Thursday the 25th. They also stated that this is the first time that such an old cold case has led to an arrest.
The Dutch police are asking to speak with the victim's family and acquaintances along with everybody who was investigated in the case over the past 26 years.
The Dutch and Israeli police are collaborating on the investigation via Israel Police representatives in Europe.
