Israeli police identify body as missing US student
Student Aharon Sofer disappeared last week while hiking with a friend in a hilly, forested area on the outskirts of Jerusalem
Associated Press in Jerusalem
theguardian.com, Friday 29 August 2014 06.26 EDT
Missing posters for Aharon Sofer
Police said there was no suspicion of foul play, meaning Sofer's death was not a militant or criminal attack. Photograph: Sebastian Scheiner/AP
Israeli police say a recently found body has been identified as that of a US religious student who disappeared while hiking in Jerusalem last week.
Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the body was confirmed early on Friday morning to be that of seminary student Aharon Sofer. She said there was no suspicion of foul play, meaning Sofer's death was not a militant attack or a criminal attack.
Samri had no further details on how Sofer died.
The body was found on Thursday night in the same area where Sofer disappeared last week. The 23-year-old, from Lakewood, New Jersey, had been hiking with a friend in a hilly, forested area on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
Sofer's parents had flown to Israel to assist with the search.
