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Mother of murdered orthodontist accuses daughter-in-law

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Eyewitness News

(Queens - WABC, October 29, 2007) (WABC) -- The grieving mother of Daniel Malakov, an orthodontist who was murdered Sunday, has directly accused her estranged daughter-in-law of killing her son.

In a one-on-one interview after Daniel's funeral Monday, Malka Malakov told Eyewitness News reporter NJ Burkett that her daughter-in-law, Marina Borukhova, made a direct threat after losing custody of the couple's little girl.

"She told me three days ago, 'I'm gonna kill your son,'" Malka Malakov said. "I didn't believe it."

Malakov said that she has given these statements to homicide investigators.

Sources say that investigators are taking the allegation seriously, and that they believe Daniel Malakov was killed by a hired hitman.

An attorney for Borukhova has not returned calls.

The shooting happened just before 11 a.m. in a playground near 102nd Street and 64th Avenue in Forest Hills. Malakov was gunned down as he arrived at a playground in Forest Hills in broad daylight by a man who fired at least two shots, point-blank, into his chest. Borukhova, a physician, unsuccesfully tried to perform CPR.

"We must find the killer," the victim's aunt, Hannah Mushiyeva said. "Help us, please. He was very nice man."

Relatives told Eyewitness News that Daniel was divorced and had recently been awarded custody of his 5-year-old daughter Michelle.

Officials confirmed Daniel had arranged for Borukhova to spend the day with her daughter. When he reportedly went to playground to hand over the child, authorities believe a gunman was waiting for him.

As mourners filled the Malakov's home, other families left horrified that their little oasis for children had become a crime scene.

Daniel Malakov was well-known and well-liked in his close-knit community and "had no enemies," according to his divorce attorney, who is cooperating with NYPD detectives investigating yesterday's murder.

Nathan Pinkhasov represented Malakov for four years during the separation, divorce and custody battles between Malakov and Borukhova. Pinkhasov would say only that the couple broke up over irreconcilable differences.

He offered the following rough chronology of the proceedings:

Divorce proceedings began in 2005

Father was eventually awarded custody, but child was allowed to remain with the mother while she appealed

Decision was upheld on appeal earlier this month, and child was turned-over to the father on October 20th.

Custody was reportedly considered temporary, as the divorce proceedings were not complete.

Pinkhasov says Borukhova denied his client access to the girl at every opportunity, including visitation, which is why Malakov went to court seeking full-custody. Ironically, he was not obligated to arrange yesterday's visit, but did so voluntarily so that the girl would have some time with her mother.

One source familiar with the court papers says that Borukhova was so determined to prevent Malakov from seeing his daughter that she accused him of sexually abusing the girl. It was an allegation that the courts obviously rejected in awarding full, temporary custody to Malakov.

Borukhova was questioned as a witness and released last night. There are no named suspects, so far.

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