Brandt affair: mother of the young girl from Ashdod disappeared

DNA tests conducted by the police, were unable to give a definite answer to solve the mystery of the disappearance of Alexandra Brandt, 19 years ago.

Findings of the DNA sample taken from the woman, who family Brandt claimed to be lost Alexandra, show that it cannot be determined unequivocally that this was indeed Alexandera.

Following the results, the central unit of Tel Aviv continues to investigate the incident.

However, to date, the mother of Alexandra Brandt refuses – for personal reasons - to give a DNA sample, which could significantly ease the researchers and help the investigation.

This is a 29-year-old Orthodox young woman from Ashdod, and the possibility is being examined that it is Alexandra Brandt, from Ramat Gan, the girl missing for 19 years.

Even the mother of the young woman, could help the investigation by giving her own DNA, but she has been gone for two days.

The test results were supposed to give the answer: Is the mystery solved, or did the sister and mother of the missing woman just stumble across a rare resemblance to Alexandra. Police sources estimate that the chances of this are low.

The case arose after a police officer was called recently to Ashdod Police to a chilling event: a religious woman claimed that the Haredi woman in front of her is her sister, Alexandra Brandt, who disappeared on 24 November 1994. The policeman heard the two versions. On the one hand, that of the woman claiming that her sister is Alexandra (Sasha), and on the other, which claimed that it was not Sasha.

The policeman's dilemma lasted several minutes, and after a series of consultations at Lachish Region Police they decided to make a DNA test. The Haredi woman agreed to DNA testing. A sample taken at the forensic laboratory at the national headquarters, where researchers tried to compare her sister's sampling of Alexandra.

The story began when the mother of Alexandra, Tehilla, came a few months ago for a wedding in Ramat Gan, where she met the woman, who looks just like her missing daughter. The mother turned to the woman and tried to talk to her, but she denied she is her daughter.

On November 24, 1994, Alexandra Brandt left the school in Ramat Gan with her sister. Alexandra, who was then only 10, was last seen in a park in the city - yet completely disappeared, over the years many people questioned, including her family, who came to this country two years before the mysterious disappearance, and the suspicion that she was abducted abroad was checked. Absence of the child shocked the country, and despite thousands of investigations made during the last 19 years, including private investigators, trying to find a thread – the case remains an unsolved mystery.

The girl's parents were divorced since; the mother became a ballas teshuva, married again and had four daughters, with the dream to find the long-lost daughter will not let her go.

The second daughter, Julia, has changed her name to Lilach Talia, also came closer to religion. Throughout all these years, she never missed an opportunity to try and find her sister.

Two years passed

The sister Lilach Talia put on her Facebook page a status which brings her version of events.

"My mother identified the woman as my sister," she writes, "but it's important to note it had been nearly two years until I decided to involve the police. Opposed to what is written in the media, my mother did not contact the police, her trust in the police disappeared 18 years ago."

"Before I spoke with the police, my mother had a telephone conversation with the girl and asked her if she is Alexandra. The woman hung up the phone in alarm. A few months later my mother called again, this time the conversation was over an hour and a half. During the conversation my mother said she knew she is her missing daughter. In response this woman asked my mother why she did not come up to her at the event. My mother explained that she realized she was pregnant and did not want to cause harm to the fetus. During the conversation the lady asked about me too and at the end my mother told her she did not want to pressure her, but gave her our phone number. The woman said she had recorded the phone number last time they spoke.

"After six months, my mother updated me with the details of the story. I decided to look into it to make sure my mother did not get confused and it does have a basis for suspicion of her. The following day I called the woman and her husband answered. I started the conversation gently and asked if I can talk with his wife. I told him who I was and that my mother believes that his wife is my sister. He firmly refused to let me talk to her and the line went dead. After a month, I decided to go to the woman in Ashdod. I arrived at the apartment, she opened the door and I told her who I was. As soon as she heard I was Lilach from Arad she winced and said she could not speak. Then she said I could not meet her without booking an appointment.

"There are some details that I chose not to publish in order not to compromise the investigation; these details do not leave doubt that this is my sister. Why did she talk with my mother for an hour and a half? Why did she keep her phone number? But it may be that she is a woman with a sad story of her own and it may not be my sister."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!