VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Months after Norah Horwitz was arrested in the stabbing death of her father, a motive was revealed in court on Thursday.
The defense said she killed her father, Abbey Horwitz, a well-known Virginia Beach dentist, in self defense.
A detective who responded to the scene on the day of the crime took the witness stand on Nov. 9, and testified Norah told him she killed her father because she was scared he was going to rape her.
According to the detective, this is Norah’s account of that day.
Norah said she was cleaning out her room at home and went to the kitchen to get some bags. Her father was standing in the kitchen in front of the sink, and the cabinet she needed was under it. She told the detective he then turned his hips towards her in a sexual manner, to which she responded, “typical.”
According to Norah, her father had molested her before.
He then looked at a knife on the counter. She said he grabbed it and started coming towards her.
She took the weapon, and that’s when the detective said she lured him out into the nearby hallway.
Norah said she stabbed her father in the stomach and side, after which he took the knife back and strangled her.
After minutes of the back-and-forth, Abbey Horowitz was left on the ground only making noises.
Norah told the detective she then stabbed him more times out of fear of retaliation.
Abbey Horwitz’s autopsy revealed he died from about 100 stab wounds to the front and back of his head, face, torso, and extremities.
Norah told the detective afterwards she got water and her phone and waited to call 911 because she didn’t want to sound distressed.
After being arrested, Norah was taken to the hospital to get stitches in her legs and to have her hands bandaged.
It was also revealed in court Thursday that Norah’s mother was in the home during the time of the crime, but it was not said if she heard anything.
The detective said he spoke with both the mother and Norah’s brother that same day.
The judge said because Norah continued stabbing her father after he was already down, the court will move forward with the second-degree murder charge.
The grand jury will meet on December 4.