A New York rabbi was found dismembered and stuffed inside a bloodstained wardrobe after he was attacked and murdered by Colombian gangsters.
Discovery of Remains
Nachum Israel Eber's mutilated remains were discovered inside an abandoned closet that had been dumped on a street in Bogota on Sunday, April 26, just days after his family reported him missing, according to local media reports.
The 51-year-old father, who was a member of the Belz Hasidic community in Brooklyn's Boro Park, had traveled to the South American country earlier this month to help advise a congregation of Catholics who had converted to Judaism.
Investigation
Authorities began searching for him after relatives in New York reported that he had suddenly gone silent and stopped answering their calls. Surveillance video captured Eber leaving his Airbnb just after 9 p.m. on April 21 before he vanished without a trace.
Days later, locals reported finding the blue wardrobe with bloodstains around it on a street on the opposite side of the city. Authorities have since confirmed that the remains are those of the missing rabbi.
Possible Motive
Investigators are still trying to determine a motive for the killing but believe he may have been attacked by a gang that targets tourists. They suspect he was likely murdered when gang members were stealing his belongings and identification documents, as reported by local media.
Family Response
Eber's family is in the process of trying to have his remains transported to Israel for burial. They are liaising with Colombian authorities in an effort to prevent investigators from carrying out an autopsy as part of their investigation.
