Roman Zadorov, currently in the midst of a retrial of his 2006 convictions for the murder of Tair Rada, will be acquitted due to a lack of evidence, a criminal law expert told 103FM in a Friday interview.
According to attorney Sassi Gez, new DNA evidence found in the girls' bathroom of a Kaztrin school where Rada was murdered significantly distanced Zadorov from the murder he has been imprisoned for.
Last month, the Nazareth District Court ruled hairs found on Tair Rada's body will be re-examined, including a hair whose DNA may have matched Adir Habani, the ex-partner of Ola Kravchenko, a former suspect in the case.
"I was always wary of how the case against Zadorov was handled," Gez admitted. "The judicial system does not know how to take responsibility and admit mistakes."
Due to this, Gez claimed, "we find ourselves in a prolonging saga when it is clear to everyone involved that there is at least a modicum for reasonable doubt emanating from this case."
Gez added that there is simply "too much doubt" involved in the case for Zadorov to be found guilty again.
"I do believe the prosecution is certain that Zadorov is the culprit...but there is no forensic evidence linking him to the scene of the murder," the attorney said. "My personal belief is that he'll be acquitted, everyone understands this is what is going to happen."
Murder of Tair Rada - the story so far
In December 2006, Rada was found stabbed to death in a bathroom stall at the Nofey Golan School in Katzrin on the Golan Heights.
Zadorov, the school custodian, was arrested less than a week later and was found guilty of murdering 13-year-old Rada in September 2010.
The amended indictment continued to allege that Zadorov slit Rada’s throat in the bathroom.
The case captivated the Israeli media and public: A tragic small-town murder that from the beginning was dogged by rumors. One was that local teenagers had killed Rada, and the town or teachers had covered this up finding an easy fall guy in Zadorov, an immigrant from the former Soviet Union.
In July 2021, the High Court of Justice ruled in favor of conducting a retrial, saying that while it was possible the outcome would remain the same, it would be in the public interest to conduct a new trial. Zadorov was released to house arrest in August, 15 years since he was sentenced to life in prison, ahead of his retrial.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.