Days after entering prison to serve a sentence for accepting bribes, exploitation, attempted extortion, tax evasion, and money laundering, leader of the Shuvu Banim Hassidic sect Rabbi Eliezer Berland admitted a connection to two 30-year-old murder cases, then fainted in court, Israel National News reported.

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Berland's wife, Tehila, was also detained for questioning.

According to the report, Berland connected himself to the murders of Nissim Shitrit and Avi Edri in 1986 and 1990, respectively. In mid-October, three suspects – two men and a woman, all in their 60s – were arrested in connection with the killings, police reported after a gag order was lifted.

Shitrit, a resident of Jerusalem who was a student at a yeshiva in Ashdod, disappeared in January 1986 and was last seen in the car of a person known as Mike, whom he had met a week earlier. A few weeks before he vanished, Shitrit filed a police complaint that he had been abducted and severely beaten by the Shuvu Banim modesty squads after they accused him of having relationships with girls.

Edri, who was 41 at the time of his death, worked as a taxi driver and a maintenance man at Shuvu Banim Yeshiva. His body was found in Ramot Forest and bore signs of violence. He was murdered after a night out with his wife. Even at the time of his murder, police thought he had been killed by members of the modesty patrol, who suspected him of involvement with married Haredi women.

While Berland was being questioned on Monday, a group of his followers held a protest outside the police station at the Russian Compound in Jerusalem.

Also on Monday, police arrested two additional suspects in the affair, both residents of Jerusalem. The two, one of whom in in his 60s and the second in his 70s, were questioned by the Major Crimes Unit of the Jerusalem District Police. The Jerusalem Magistrates Court has extended their remand until Thursday.

Police suspect that one of the suspects served as a driver for a woman who is suspected of involvement in Shitrit's disappearance.

As developments in the long-cold cases continue to emerge, police have made a number of arrests. Last week, Channel 12 News reported that one of the suspects has agreed in writing to cooperate with police and supply them with incriminating evidence against other suspects in exchange for reduced charges against himself, as well as more lenient sentencing.

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More than 30 years after the murders of Nissim Shitrit and Avi Edri in 1986 and 1990, respectively, three suspects –two men and a woman, all in their 60s – have been arrested in connection with the killings, police reported late Sunday after a gag order was lifted.

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The investigation is being handled by the Jerusalem District Police's major crimes unit, which is still trying to solve the murders of Shitrit and Avi Edri, who was a taxi driver and maintenance workers at the Shuvu Banim Yeshiva in Jerusalem.

The latest development in the case came after Kan 11 broadcast a miniseries about Rabbi Eliezer Berland, head of the Shuvu Banim Hassidic sect, titled "Harav Hanistar"  ("The Hidden Rabbi). The series, which aired about a year and a half ago after its creator, Shany Haziza, spent years researching it, probed the connection of the Shuvu Banim community to the disappearance of Shitrit and the murder of Edri, four years later. The series also claimed that members of the Shuvu Banim "modesty patrols" were supposedly behind both acts.

Shitrit, a resident of Jerusalem who was a student at a yeshiva in Ashdod, disappeared in January 1986 and was last seen in the car of a person known as Mike, whom he had met a week earlier. A few weeks before he vanished, Shitrit filed a police complaint that he had been abducted and severely beaten by the Shuvu Banim modesty squads after they accused him of having relationships with girls. Shitrit named one of his alleged attackers, who was arrested and questioned, but because the police did not have sufficient evidence against him, the suspect was released.

The main suspect now under arrest has already testified after police brought him in, suspecting he was involved in Shitrit's disappearance, but his questioning did not yield sufficient evidence for police to arrest him. At the time, the suspect was also fingered in the Edri murder, but now he is suspected of involvement in both incidents.

Edri, who was 41 at the time of his death, worked as a taxi driver and a maintenance man at Shuvu Banim Yeshiva. His body was found in Ramot Forest and bore signs of violence. He was murdered after a night out with his wife. Even at the time of his murder, police thought he had been killed by members of the modesty patrol, who suspected him of involvement with married Haredi women.

The three suspects in police custody are accused of murder, aiding and abetting murder, and abduction. A female suspect admitted she was forced to act as a honey trap to entice Edri, and possibly Shitri, to the place where they could be attacked. All three suspects have been remanded for an additional seven days.

The police announced that they plan to continue the investigation, and that additional arrests could follow. Police also plan to investigate Berland himself to see if the rabbi was involved in the cases. In 2016, Berland was convicted after admitted to two counts of indecent sexual acts and one count of sexual assault. In June 2021, he was convicted on charges of fraud, exploitation, attempted intimidation, tax offenses, and money laundering.

Shitrit's older brother, Meir Shitrit, told Israel Hayom that after Shitrit filed the police complaint, the family was bombarded with telephone threats in efforts to convince Shitrit to take back the complaint, but the teen refused to comply.

"My dad was the one who got the threatening phone calls. They wanted the case closed, but he refused. And then the threats that they would kidnap and kill him [Nissim] started. They identified themselves as part of [Rabbi] Berland's 'modesty patrols,'" Meir Shitrit said.

Meir also said that a few years ago, he held a phone conversation with one of the three suspects now under arrest, who told him that Nissim had been buried in the Eshtaol Forest, located north of Beit Shemesh.

"If the original burial location is found, it will be possible collect DNA and we can sit shiva for him," Meir said, adding that the family had not recovered from the blow of Nissim's murder.

"My dad couldn't realize that he wouldn't come back. Any time anyone knocked on the door, he jumped up to see if it was his lost son who'd returned. He couldn't take it, and a year and four months later, he had a heart attack. My mom couldn't accept that Nissim wouldn't come back, either. I hope we can reach closure," Meir said.

i24NEWS contributed to this report

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