'I killed a person:' TLV court sentences Solomon Madmon to life for murder of family member

ByGILAD MORAGJULY 30, 2026 08:59The Tel Aviv District Court sentenced Solomon Madmon to life in prison on Thursday for the aggravated murder of Yosef Yosefia, the father of Madmon’s daughter-in-law. Madmon was also convicted of additional offenses, and the court ordered him to pay compensation to Yosefia’s children.Attorney Lihi Meltzman of the Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office, who prosecuted the case, said the sentence reflected the severity of the crime.“The sentence reflects the extreme severity of Madmon’s actions, in which he armed himself, arrived at the home of the late Yosefia and took his life by shooting him near the entrance to his apartment, following prior planning, leaving behind two families that continue to bear the consequences of the tragedy.”Meltzman said she hoped the ruling would offer some comfort to Yosefia’s family.“We hope that the sentence will provide Yosef Yosefia’s family with some measure of comfort after they were forced to cope with an unbearable loss and accompany the legal proceedings throughout. Even though the punishment cannot restore what was lost, ensuring justice in murder cases reflects the law enforcement system’s commitment to protecting the sanctity of life and sends a clear message: Anyone who chooses to take another person’s life will bear full responsibility for their actions and spend many years in prison.”Yosef Yosefia. (credit: Uri Sela)A conviction for aggravated murder carries a mandatory life sentence.Madmon threatened Yosefia days before the murderThe murder took place on the morning of June 18, 2022. According to the indictment filed by Meltzman, Yosefia’s daughter had decided shortly before the murder to separate from Madmon’s son. She left the couple’s shared home and moved with their children into her parents’ home.“Well done for praying while at the same time destroying families. I swear on my parents’ grave, you will pay.”The indictment cited another message in which Madmon threatened Yosefia.“Well done, you pray and at the same time destroy families. I swear on my parents’ graves, you will pay.”Two days later, Madmon sent another message to Yosefia.“In God’s name, how do you live with this?”In a separate message, Madmon referred to his previous efforts to preserve the relationship between their children.“I always ignored the warnings. For the sake of keeping our children’s family together, I always gave in.”Yosefia did not respond to any of the messages.On the day of the murder, Madmon called Herzl Shamami, whom he had known for many years, and asked him for a handgun to carry out the killing. According to the indictment, Shamami gave him a STAR semi-automatic pistol.Madmon drove to Ramat Gan around noon and parked near the building where Yosefia lived. After waiting several minutes, he removed a bag containing the handgun from the trunk of his vehicle and walked toward the building’s entrance.Madmon shot Yosefia outside his Ramat Gan apartmentAt about the same time, Yosefia and a neighbor returned from synagogue and waited for the elevator in the building’s lobby.According to the indictment, Madmon knocked on the glass entrance door, and the neighbor let him inside. Madmon stood beside Yosefia and the neighbor near the elevators and demanded to see his grandchildren.After Yosefia responded, the three entered the elevator together. An argument broke out between Madmon and Yosefia. When the elevator reached the sixth floor, they stepped into the hallway.Madmon removed the handgun from the bag, inserted the magazine, and shot Yosefia six times in the face and upper body. Yosefia died at the scene.Yosefia’s wife, daughter and grandchildren were inside the apartment at the time. After hearing the gunfire, family members opened the front door and saw Madmon holding the handgun.According to the indictment, Madmon aimed the weapon at his daughter-in-law. Her mother, who was standing behind her, pulled her back into the apartment and quickly closed the door.Madmon later called Magen David Adom to report the killing.“I killed a person.”Follow us on Google