URGENT UPDATE: Levi Aron, the man convicted of the horrific murder of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky, has died in custody at the age of 49. New York’s prison system confirmed that Aron passed away shortly before 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at a hospital near Wende Correctional Facility in Erie County. This shocking development comes after he was transferred to the facility on August 23 for undisclosed medical issues.
Aron was serving a sentence of 40 years to life for the kidnapping and murder of Kletzky, a case that sent waves of terror through Borough Park and the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn. The tragedy unfolded in 2011 when Leiby vanished while walking home alone for the first time, prompting an extensive citywide search that ended in heartbreak.
In a confession that horrified even experienced prosecutors, Aron detailed how he had abducted the boy just blocks from his home. After taking Leiby to a wedding in Rockland County, Aron learned of the frantic search only upon his return. He admitted to drugging, smothering, and dismembering the child’s body—a confession that left the public in shock. “I went for a towel to smother him in the side room,” Aron told detectives. “He fought back a little bit, but eventually he stopped breathing.”
The brutality of the crime ignited outrage and mourning across New York. Volunteers had tirelessly searched for Leiby, who was beloved in his community. In the aftermath, his father, Nachman Kletzky, filed a civil suit against Aron and his father, seeking $100 million in punitive damages, labeling Aron’s actions as “utterly reckless, malicious, and wanton.”
As news of Aron’s death spreads, the family has requested an autopsy, but specific details regarding his medical condition remain undisclosed. This latest development raises questions about the implications for the community still grappling with the fallout from this tragic case.
Stay tuned as more updates unfold regarding this significant story that continues to resonate deeply within New York and beyond.
