Chaim Weiss

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Nassau County Police Department (NY)

Offense Location:

Long Beach, New York

Summary:

Chaim Weiss, a 16-year-old student at the Torah High School yeshiva in Long Beach, New York, was murdered on November 1, 1986. He was killed while sleeping at Torah High School, an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva at 63 East Beech Street in Long Beach, New York, between the hours of 1:20 and 6:00 AM. The murder remains unsolved, though investigators believe the murderer was likely a student or faculty member of the yeshiva.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

Weiss was last seen alive at approximately 12:45 AM Saturday morning by a study partner. On November 1, 1986, between the hours of 1:20 and 6:00 AM, Chaim Weiss was killed while sleeping at Torah High School, an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva at 63 East Beech Street in Long Beach, New York. A single blow to his skull with a sharp object had severed his spinal column. Chaim Weiss' body was found on November 1st, 1986 when a dorm assistant went to wake him for the Shabbat service that day. The murdered yeshiva student was found in his bed at 7:30 a.m. by a dormitory supervisor who went looking for him when he failed to show for morning services. Weiss' body was found on the floor, clad in pajamas, and with his feet propped on the bed. Weiss, a 16-year-old student at the yeshiva, was sleeping alone in his third-floor dormitory room, being one of only two students in the dormitory to have his own room.

Additional Details:

Investigators found no murder weapon. A single strand of hair not belonging to Weiss was found near his body. A window was left open on the chilly October night, which was strange as the outside temperature was 40°F (4°C) and Weiss was taking antibiotics for a sore throat, making it unlikely that he would have opened it. According to orthodox Jewish belief, a window or door should be left open after death to let out a lingering spirit, and whoever killed Weiss had done just that — leaving a window ajar before fleeing the scene. There was no sign of forced entry in Weiss' room, but there were clues, police said, which indicate the killer was familiar with Orthodox Jewish traditions, including a window left open to "allow the victim's soul to escape." An FBI profile suggested the killer was someone Weiss knew and around his age. In 1994 a letter was sent to the late Chaim Weiss at his parents' house in Staten Island. The message appears to be Hebrew for "murder", but with the last letter incorrect. In November of 2017, Chaim's father Anton was interviewed by a news station and recalled several bizarre incidents prior to his son's murder. In July of 1986, Chaim had called him from summer camp. He was crying and saying that he wanted to come home. According to Anton, this was very out of character for him. During this time, the yeshiva's principal, Rabbi Avrom Cooper, called Anton several times, asking when Chaim would be back home. He felt that this was suspicious. On another occasion, Cooper had Anton bring Chaim to his home to talk with him alone. After meeting for about ten minutes, Chaim returned to his father. However, he was reluctant to talk about the meeting. Anton suspects that Rabbi Cooper may have information about Chaim's murder. The father of a Long Island teen murdered more than 25 years ago pleaded for the public's help in solving the cold case, as Nassau County police announced new efforts to find the killer. Since reopening the investigation three years ago, detectives have interviewed over 100 former students at the suburban New York school yet "made little progress." Weiss' murder was the subject of episode 4.30 of *Unsolved Mysteries*. The Weiss family sued the yeshiva for failing to safeguard Chaim.

Case Last Updated:

Nov 02, 2026