Forensics unable to determine Eldar Dayan's cause of death, suspects released from house arrest

Police opted not to prolong the house arrest of seven suspects linked to the death of Eldar Dayan, allowing the restrictions to lapse as forensic experts could not ascertain his cause of death. This decision does not conclude the investigation or absolve the suspects, but it does free all seven from custody, highlighting the primary challenge investigators face: without evidence of Dayan's death, they have been unable to build a case for murder.

Initially, Dayan's friends Omri Peretz and Maxim Barberman were apprehended on murder suspicion, and they are now being investigated on attempted murder charges. The remaining five suspects, from Petah Tikva, are accused of participating in a fight that preceded Dayan's disappearance and untimely demise.

Earlier in the week, the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court was asked to place the seven suspects under house arrest for two weeks. However, Judge Ronen Peleg maintained their house arrest until Thursday. The police did not request an extension, causing the house arrest to expire without a renewed court hearing. The condition of Dayan's remains, as reported by the L. Greenberg Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir, renders it impossible to determine his cause of death.

This finding does not rule out the possibility that Dayan was killed but leaves investigators unable to establish the manner of his death or link any of the suspects' alleged actions to it.

The investigation's continuation is unaffected by the house arrest's expiration, and police may re-arrest the suspects if new evidence surfaces. However, it remains uncertain whether any of the seven will face charges. Dayan's relatives have vehemently criticized the investigation's handling, claiming that delays in recovering his remains allowed evidence to be compromised.