Ayad Fatafta, Stabbing Murder, Washington 2010

Washington – A chilling chapter in the annals of international crime has been reopened as Ayad Fatafta and Kifah Ghanimat, both 39 years old from areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority, face charges for their alleged role in the December 18, 2010, murder of Kristine Luken, a U.S. citizen.

The duo is accused of stabbing Ms. Luken to death during a hike near an archaeological site in Israel. Another hiker, a dual national from the United Kingdom and Israel, was left with serious injuries but survived the brutal attack.

Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director Andrew Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the chilling announcement of these charges against Fatafta and Ghanimat.

In 2012, both men were convicted in an Israeli court for their roles in a separate but equally heinous crime – the abduction and stabbing of two women. Fatafta was sentenced to one life term plus 20 years, while Ghanimat received two life terms plus 60 years.

Despite these charges being mere allegations at this stage, if proven guilty, the defendants face a lifetime term or death for the murder of a U.S. national outside the United States. The maximum statutory sentence is dictated by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only.

The FBI’s Washington Field Office has led the investigation into the 2010 tragedy, with significant support from the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs. The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.