JERUSALEM (JTA) — The murder of the three Israeli teens whose bodies were discovered 18 days after they were reported missing was premeditated, an unnamed U.S. official told Reuters.
The U.S. official, who Reuters reported was involved in the probe, said the FBI received a recording of the call for help made by one of the teens for analysis, since one of the teens was an American citizen.
The analysis determined that the guns used by the kidnappers were equipped with silencers and that 10 shots were used to kill the teens, whose bodies were found in a field near Hebron.
The use of a silencer led U.S. investigators to believe the captors had planned in advance to kill their captives, the U.S. official told Reuters.
Israeli officials declined to respond to the American official’s analysis of the case, telling Reuters the probe was ongoing.
