David Afuta was a prominent Israeli hairdresser based in Jerusalem, known for his high-profile clientele, including Sara Netanyahu, the wife of then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In 1992, he met 18-year-old Anat Elimelech during the "Miss Kenyon" beauty pageant, where she was a contestant and he was a stylist. Despite a 14-year age difference, they began a relationship that lasted several years. Over time, their relationship became tumultuous, with reports of Afuta's controlling behavior and threats of self-harm if Elimelech attempted to leave him. In the months leading up to the tragedy, Elimelech had moved back in with her father, indicating a desire to end the relationship.

On the morning of December 2, 1997, both Afuta and Elimelech were found dead in their shared apartment in the Ramat Beit HaKerem neighborhood of Jerusalem. Elimelech had been shot once in the chest, while Afuta had sustained two gunshot wounds. A handgun, registered to Afuta, was found near Elimelech's hand, leading initial investigations to conclude that she had killed Afuta before taking her own life. ​

Elimelech was subsequently buried in a section of the cemetery designated for suicides, in accordance with Jewish burial customs. However, her family contested the initial findings, prompting a renewed investigation. This second inquiry revealed that Afuta had, in fact, murdered Elimelech before committing suicide. Further complicating the case, it was discovered that Afuta's brother had arrived at the crime scene before the police and had tampered with evidence by moving the gun to Elimelech's hand to mislead investigators. ​

In 2011, a court formally recognized Afuta as the perpetrator of the murder–suicide and ordered his brother to compensate Elimelech's family for the suffering caused by the evidence tampering.