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Denver police arrest fifth suspect in murder of yeshivah student

Samuel Fussell, 19, was arrested in Greeley, Colo., about 60 miles northeast of Denver, for the murder of 18-year-old Shmuel Silverberg.

Yeshiva Toras Chaim in Denver. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Yeshiva Toras Chaim in Denver. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

The Denver Police Department announced on Thursday that they have arrested the last suspect in the murder of a Jewish yeshivah student there.

Samuel Fussell, 19, was arrested in the town of Greeley, Colo., some 60 miles northeast of Denver, for the Aug. 17 murder of 18-year-old Shmuel Silverberg.

Silverberg was standing outside of his school, Yeshiva Toras Chaim, when he was shot. A native of Ohio, Silverberg managed to get just inside the doors of the building when he lost his life.

In announcing the arrest, the Greeley Police Department said that on Aug. 25 they, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Denver Safe Streets unit, had “actionable information” that Fussell was in the area.

Officers from the Greeley PD Special Enforcement Team (SET) “positively identified Fussell as he entered a vehicle” and, together with K9 officers and patrol units, conducted a “high-risk” traffic stop. “Fussell, along with two other females, was taken into custody without incident and transported to Denver.”

He was one of five young men—all of whom have been apprehended—who police say allegedly went on a crime spree on Aug. 17 that included car-jackings, robbery and culminated in Silverberg’s murder.

Calling Silverberg’s murder “a tragedy for Jewish communities everywhere,” Agudath Israel of America and its Colorado affiliate praised law enforcement personnel for maintaining close contact with the yeshivah community and the rest of the Denver Jewish community during the investigation.

“My intent was to honor our Jewish neighbors and friends,” Nathalie Kanani stated. “We are all human, and even with the best intentions, honest mistakes can happen.”
The man was recognized by police officers while attending a court hearing of the three other suspects connected to the case.
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