Crime & Safety

Suspected Killer Brings Wife, Two Children to Europe Prior to Murder

A U.S. District Court affidavit unveils details of the suspect's actions during the months leading up to the crime as well as days after the murder.

Andrew Robert Levene, also known as “Robert Thomas,” the suspect in Yekutiel Zeevi, flew with his wife and two children from Newark, New Jersey to Barcelona, Spain on Sept. 7, according to an affidavit released by federal authorities.

“According to Immigration authorities, there is no indication that Levene’s wife or two children have returned to the United States,” the affidavit reads. The report indicates he purchased four one-way tickets for what he and his wife called a two or three week vacation.

Levene flew back to J.F.K. International Airport on Sept. 26 and departed the country again two days later on a flight to Madrid, Spain. The suspect returned to Philadelphia International Airport Dec. 5.

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Investigators traced the “3-4-7” area code phone number police located in Y.Z. Jewelers’ records to conversations with and Connecticut. Levene had been window shopping at several jewelers and on the afternoon of Dec. 7 – the day before the murder – Levene met a jeweler “to view high value diamonds.”

“When the owner saw “Robert” through the glass, she became nervous and refused to open the door,” the affidavit states, adding the owner was later able to identify Levene in a photo lineup.

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Days before the murder, on Dec. 4, Zeevi contacted his New York City associate, Ronen Konfino, and said he had a customer interested in purchasing several large diamonds. Zeevi asked Konfino to locate diamonds that were between “two and three karats in size and valued between $45,000 and $75,000 to meet the prospective buyer’s specifications,” according to the affidavit.

Zeevi, Konfino, and Levene met at Y.Z. Jewelers at 10:45 p.m. the day before the murder and Levene examined the diamonds for about 30 minutes using tweezers and a jeweler’s loop. When he was finished looking at the diamonds he told Zeevi and Konfino he would “have to sleep on it.” Konfino and Levene then walked downstairs together to the Compo Shopping Center parking lot where Levene offered to drive the associate back to New York. He declined the offer as he felt uncomfortable traveling with Levene while in possession of the diamonds.

Zeevi arranged for Konfino to meet him and Levene at his business the following night, and told his associate to bring a four-carrot diamond, but after another half-hour of inspecting the diamonds Levene again stated he wanted to “sleep on it” and that he would call the next day to let them know what he had decided.

“’Robert’ then began to shift in his seat, put his hand into his pocket, pulled out a gun and started shooting,” the affidavit reads. Both Konfino and Zeevi had been shot and fell to the floor.

Levene took the diamonds, walked around the business and in and out of the rooms several times before reaching behind the desk to find what authorities believe was the key to let him out of the business. Six diamonds totaling $300,000 were taken.

Levene, a former U.S. Armed Forces veteran, fled the country on a flight from Philadelphia to Barcelona Dec. 12 after missing his flight the day before. The suspected murderer, who has weapons training, has family members both in Connecticut and in New York, the report indicates.


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