Four Palestinian Men Arrested for Murder of Tourist

Israeli authorities have arrested four Palestinian men for multiple murders, including the December 2010 slaying of American tourist Kristine Luken. The men, who have not been identified, will be charged Wednesday in Luken’s death, the attempted murder of Luken’s friend Kay Susan Wilson, the murder of an Israeli woman and the attempted murder of another couple.

Luken was stabbed to death on December 17 while hiking with Wilson near Jerusalem. Wilson, who was stabbed multiple times, survived the attack by playing dead. Wilson went for help after the suspects left. Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld tells CNN that the men confessed to all of the crimes. They even re-enacted both killings and told authorities they attacked Luken and Wilson because they thought they were Jewish. Luken was a Christian missionary.  

The suspects said their crimes were revenge for senior Hamas military official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, who was found dead in his Dubai hotel room in January 2010. The Israeli government is believed to have sanctioned his assassination.

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