Queens Dentist Killed In Playground In Front Of Daughter, 4

[odette]

Queens dentist killed in playground in front of daughter, 4

nydailynews.com - KERRY BURKE, ORIN YANIV and TINA MOORE - October 29th 2007

An Ivy League-trained Queens dentist was shot dead execution-style Sunday in a Forest Hills playground as his 4-year-old daughter watched in horror. — continued: »

Excerpt: Albert Malakov said his cousin, who specialized in orthodontics, went through a nasty divorce from the woman he married six years ago.

He said Daniel Malakov received a call from her yesterday asking to meet at the playground in the treelined middle-class neighborhood of single-family homes.

A police source confirmed that Daniel Malakov, who was born in the former Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan, and his ex-wife frequently used the location as a meeting place.

The shooter took nothing from his victim; Malakov was taken to North Shore University Hospital at Forest Hills, where he was pronounced dead, cops said.

Malakov's aunt Hannah Mushiyeva, 63, was desperate to know what happened: "We need to find the killer. We don't know who was the shooter and for what."

Ivy League-trained dentist Daniel Malakov, 34,
is rushed from Queens playground, where he was
killed in front of daughter and ex-wife Marina
Boruhova (at their wedding, below).

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crim...nd_in_f-2.html

[odette]

Queens Dentist Shot To Death On Playground

No Arrests Made, Police Are Investigating

wcbstv.com - Lou Young - Oct 28, 2007

NEW YORK (CBS) ― A father was killed in cold blood while next to his daughter at a Queens playground. The shooting happened in broad daylight -- in the normally safe section of Rego Park, but it's the motive that may be the real surprise.

Dr. Mazoltov Borukhva left the precinct house hours after her ex-husband Daniel Malakov was gunned downed in her presence on a city sidewalk by men presumed to be hired killers.

She had nothing to say.

The murder scene is just outside a playground where she was meeting the victim who just last week won sole custody of their only child and was arranging a visitation with her.

"He knew the mother would go crazy not seeing the child so he just gave the child back to the mother," said Natalie Malakov, Borukhva's mother, who believes her young granddaughter witnessed the shooting.

The gruesome scene happened just a few short steps from Malakov's orthodontist practice.

A witness too frightened to speak on camera told CBS 2 HD she saw two men dressed in leather coats as the shots rang out. They both had guns, and fired three shots. — continued: »

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/queens.....2.414376.html

[odette]

Man Shot and Killed Outside Queens Playground

1010wins.com - 29 October 2007

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A 34-year-old dentist was shot and killed while taking his young daughter to a playground, police and relatives said. The girl was uninjured.

Daniel Malakov was shot twice in the chest at the Annadale Playground in Queens shortly before 11 a.m. Sunday, police said. He was taken to North Shore University Hospital at Forest Hills, where he was pronounced dead.

Malakov had succeeded in gaining custody of the 4-year-old girl, his only child, only a few days ago, relatives said. She was placed in the care of the city's Administration for Children's Services following the shooting, police said.

His ex-mother-in-law had allegedly threatened to kill him if her daughter lost the court battle, his sister-in-law said. — continued: »

Daniel Malakov

http://www.1010wins.com/AUDIO:-Man-S...ground/1143300

[odette]

Orthodontist Killed at Playground

nytimes.com - MICHAEL WILSON - October 29, 2007

A 34-year-old orthodontist was shot and killed yesterday morning after leaving his office in Queens to take his 5-year-old daughter to a nearby playground, the police said. The girl was not injured. — continued: »

Excerpt: Ariel said Dr. Malakov was distressed by the custody dispute, which led to a heated argument.

“My mom said to him, ‘Congratulations, you must be so happy, you have custody of your daughter now,’” Ariel said.

“He said ‘No, I love her, but I really didn’t want it to happen like this. A daughter should have a father and a mother in her life. She shouldn’t have to go through this.’”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/29/ny...l?ref=nyregion

[odette]

QNS. DOC MURDER SHOCKER

nypost.com - By JOE MOLLICA and CYNTHIA R. FAGEN

October 29, 2007 -- A Queens orthodontist who had recently been awarded custody of his 5-year-old daughter was fatally gunned down in cold blood in front of the screaming child yesterday as they entered a school playground to meet his ex-wife, police and relatives said.

Daniel Malakov, 34, who ran a successful practice nearby in Forest Hills, took two bullets to the chest, fired at point-blank range, outside the playground entrance on 64th Road near Yellowstone Boulevard at around 11 a.m.

A 15-year-old witness heard two shots, then saw a bloodied body hit the ground and a man running from the scene. — continued: »

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10292007...er_shocker.htm

[odette]

» Queens Dentist Shot, Killed In Daytime Attack On Playground

http://www.wnbc.com/news/14442372/detail.html

[odette]

Queens father shot to death

It happened in playground in Forest Hills

(Queens - WABC, October 28, 2007) - A young father in Queens was murdered Sunday. Police are Sunday night investigating whether it may have been connected to a recent custody battle.

The shooting happened just before 11 a.m. in a playground near 102nd Street and 64th Avenue in Forest Hills.

Eyewitness News reporter Lucy Yang has the latest at the 112 precinct.

It was horrible and cold-blooded murder right outside of a children's playground. Now, a young father is dead. — continued: »

» More ABC7 Video Here
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?se...cal&id=5723888

[odette]

Mother of murdered orthodontist accuses daughter-in-law

abclocal.go.com - Eyewitness News

(Queens - WABC, October 29, 2007) - 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. — continued: »

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?se...cal&id=5732061

[odette]

Makeshift Silencer Is Main Clue in Killing of Queens Dentist

nytimes.com - AL BAKER - October 30, 2007

The gunman who killed a man in front of his estranged wife and their 4-year-old daughter used a crude silencer made of a plastic bleach bottle wrapped in duct tape as he opened fire in a Queens playground, the authorities said yesterday.

But the force of the gunman’s shots on Sunday blew the homemade silencer off the gun’s barrel and onto a pile of leaves, where it was recovered by detectives and has now become a prime piece of evidence in trying to determine who killed the father, Dr. Daniel Malakov, on a sunny morning, and why. — continued: »

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/ny...l?ref=nyregion

[odette]

Police issued photograph of a crudely-made silencer that investigators found at the crime scene, and that they believe was used to muffle the gunshots in the shooting death of Malakov. The device consisted of a small bleach bottle covered by duct tape for attachment to the barrel of a gun.

http://www.1010wins.com/pages/114778...yXRefId=324826

[odette]

Gunshot victim's family points to custody battle

newsday.com - ROCCO PARASCANDOLA - October 30, 2007

The Queens orthodontist gunned down in a playground as he was handing his daughter off to his estranged wife was buried yesterday amid accusations by his family that he was executed as payback for winning custody of the 5-year-old girl.

Police sources said detectives are focusing on accusations by Daniel Malakov's family that his in-laws had promised retribution for the recent court victory in which Malakov won custody of his daughter, Michelleka, from his wife, Dr. Mazoltuv Boruknova.

The accusations continued yesterday after Malakov's funeral, with his relatives and friends saying they had reason to believe Malakov, 34, was in danger. Malakov himself had told one friend, Dany Ezhkov, that Boruknova had promised him "he was not going to last long." — continued: »

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ne...0,825629.story

[odette]

COPS PROBE CALLS OF SLAIN DOC'S EX-WIFE

nypost.com - TIM BUKHER, MURRAY WEISS and CYNTHIA R. FAGEN

October 30, 2007 -- Police yesterday were pulling the phone records of a murdered orthodontist's ex-wife and her relatives after he was gunned down in broad daylight - in front of his traumatized 5-year-old daughter - just weeks after winning a bitter custody battle, authorities said.

"We are looking into the family and looking at phone records," a highly placed law-enforcement source said.

Police were poring over phone calls made by the victim's ex, Dr. Mazoltuv Borukhova, a respected internist at North Shore University Hospital at Forest Hills. — continued: »

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10302007...slain_docs.htm

[odette]

Police Find Makeshift Silencer In Orthodontist Shooting

ny1.com - October 30, 2007

Police are examining what's believed to be a homemade silencer recovered at the scene where a Queens orthodontist was shot to death Sunday afternoon.

Investigators say the gunman may have used a bleach bottle wrapped with duct tape as a makeshift silencer in the killing of 34-year-old Dr. Daniel Malakov.

A funeral for Malakov was held yesterday in Forest Hills in accordance with Jewish custom that services be held within 24 hours of death. — continued: »

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index...id=1&aid=75095

[odette]

Mom of slain dentist certain son's ex-wife is to blame

nydailynews.com - TAMER EL-GHOBASHY, TINA MOORE and ALISON GENDAR - October 30th 2007

The wailing mother of slain Queens dentist Daniel Malakov blamed his ex-wife Monday for his execution-style slaying after an angry, emotion-filled funeral service.

"The wife killed my son! She ordered him killed!" Malaka Malakov, 64, howled as her family tried to dry her tears outside a Forest Hills funeral home.

Police sources told the Daily News detectives are looking into whether the Ivy League-trained dentist's ex-wife, Mazoltuv (Marina) Borukhova, or her family hired a hit man - or did the deed themselves.

"We are looking at the wife and mother-in-law and some of the wife's cousins," an NYPD police source said.

Borukhova's family vigorously denies she - or any family member - was involved. — continued: »

Excerpt: Malaka Malakov said Borukhova threatened her and her family just one day after she lost her final court appeal to win back her daughter.

"She told me three days ago she will kill my son," Malakov said. "I didn't believe it. Marina said, 'Sunday, your son will be killed.' I said, 'Are you crazy?'"

Malakov also said three days before her son's killing, his ex-wife's sister Sosa Borukhova also threatened her.

"She said, 'I'm going to kill your son Daniel,'" Malakov said. "'Your whole family will be in the cemetery.'"

Sosa Borukhova refused to comment yesterday and remained inside the Forest Hills building where both her sister and mother have apartments.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crim...ns_exwife.html

[odette]

Wife of slain dentist denies involvement in murder

(Queens - WABC, October 30, 2007) - Police are investigating whether the slaying of a man who was shot to death in a playground in front of his 5-year-old daughter was linked to a bitter custody battle with his wife over the child.

The criminal defense attorney for Dr. Mazoltuv (Marina) Borukhova insisted his client had nothing to do with the murder of her estranged husband on Sunday, claiming, "She's not stupid."

Stephen Scaring, a prominent criminal defense attorney and former homicide bureau chief for the Nassau County District Attorney, said Dr. Borukhova was not involved in the crime. Her proximity to the shooting, alone, indicates that she had no involvement, he said.

When asked to comment on allegations from the victim's family, who claimed that she had threatened to kill Daniel Malakov, Scaring said, bluntly, "That's a lie. They are totally making that up."

He insisted that his client cooperated fully in the hours after the crime. — continued: »

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?se...cal&id=5734065

[odette]

Murdered Dentist's Father, Community Badly Shaken

Still No Arrests In Murder Of Dr. Daniel Malakov

FOREST HILLS, N.Y. (CBS) ― The devastated father of a New York dentist who was gunned down in broad daylight in front of his young daughter is speaking out in a cry for help after there have still be no arrests yet in the tragic crime.

"Maybe somebody saw from window, maybe somebody saw from apartment, maybe from street, if they can help, please help us, help police," Khaika Malakov tells CBS 2.

He has been heartbroken since his son, Dr. Daniel Malakov, was murdered at a Queens playground over the weekend. Dr Malakov had brought his 4-year-old daughter there to meet his estranged wife, Dr. Mozoltuv Borukhova, who allegedly had made violent threats to her husband after a judge awarded him custody of their daughter.

Police say a gunman shot him and escaped.

"Somebody called me, 'Somebody shot him!'" Mr. Malakov said. — continued: »

http://wcbstv.com/seenon/dentist.mur....2.463946.html

[Zoey]

This is just sad. My heart goes out to that little girl who witnessed this horrible thing.

[odette]

SLAIN DOC'S FINAL PHOTOS

PRECIOUS MOMENTS WITH DAUGHTER 20 MINUTES BEFORE MURDER

nypost.com - PETER HOLLEY, TIM BUKHER and JENNIFER FERMINO

October 31, 2007 -- When the adoring dad asked to have a photo taken with his beloved little girl Sunday morning, he had no way of knowing it would be his last.

Esteemed orthodontist Daniel Malakov was at his father's house, enjoying a quiet breakfast with his 4-year-old daughter, Michelle, when he asked the older man: "Dad, take a picture, please, while all the grandkids are here." — continued: »

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10312007...nal_photos.htm

[odette]

The victim's ex-wife, Dr. Mazoltuv
Borukhova, at Queens court yesterday
amid a new custody fight.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10312007...nal_photos.htm

[odette]

Glimpse into final morning of murdered dentist

nydailynews.com - VERONIKA BELENKAYA and TINA MOORE - October 30th 2007

"Papa, take pictures of us."

Those were among the last words slain dentist Daniel Malakov, 34, said to his dad before he walked out the door - and this is one of the last pictures taken before he was murdered.

"He was so joyful that his daughter was with him," his father, Khaika Malakov, 68, said. "He loved her so much." — continued: »

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crim...urdered_d.html

[Tia]

I think the wife is involved and the parents in law too. JMO. Can't be that MUCH OF A COINCIDENCE. And the killer just went after HIM and ONLY HIM.

[odette]

Victim’s Wife Says City Is Improperly Withholding Girl

nytimes.com - By AL BAKER - November 1, 2007

The lawyer for a woman whose estranged husband was shot dead on a Queens playground on Sunday argued yesterday that the city was improperly keeping her 4-year-old daughter from her. — continued: »

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/ny...l?ref=nyregion

[odette]

TOOTH AND NAIL

CITY FIGHTS EX-WIFE OF SLAIN DENTIST FOR TOT

nypost.com - JENNIFER FERMINO and MATTHEW NESTEL

November 1, 2007 -- Child-welfare officials have filed an unusual petition of neglect against the estranged wife of a murdered Queens orthodontist to keep her from getting her daughter back - in part because of the bizarre circumstances surrounding his murder.

The surprising development surfaced as new details emerged about the warring pair's struggle over 4-year-old Michelle Malakov - including a physical tug-of-war, with each yanking the girl. — continued: »

TUG OF WAR: Mazoltuv Borukhova was in
a vicious custody battle ...

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11012007...ail_194988.htm

[odette]

Estranged wife of slain dentist denied return of daughter

nydailynews.com - NICOLE BODE and TINA MOORE - November 1st 2007

The estranged wife of slain Queens dentist Daniel Malakov broke down in tears Wednesday as she pleaded with the city to give her back her daughter three days after the little girl witnessed her father's murder in broad daylight.

"I want my child back!" a sobbing Dr. Mazoltuv Borukhova said after the Administration for Children's Services alleged that she had neglected Michelle, 4. — continued: »

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crim...enied_r-3.html

[olgamaya]

This is very sad that Bukharian community can’t handle the divorce processes as civilized people.
Then couples have a child it makes the situation even worth. On one side I can understand that mother and her desire to limit the visitation of her husband. The child was only 9 month old when they got the divorce and probably mother didn’t want to traumatize child with explanations about that situation. But on the other side he is the father and especially here in America his rights are equal. It is very rear for Bukharian guy to fight for his daughter like Daniel did.
I feel very sorry for Daniel Malakov family. I heard a lot of positive reply about that family. All their children in America got great education but bad luck doesn’t want to leave them. They just lost their beautiful daughter last year and now they lost their son.
Regarding that murder
First: If ex-wife family is involved that was very emotional and stupid decision.
Second : It’s possible that wife had some enemy or maybe some crazy boyfriend.

In that situation the child is the one who is going to suffer for the whole life. She lost her father in the very tragic situation and for her mom it’s never going to be the same anymore-the community will never accept her back.
Probably it would be the best for the child to stay in her father relatives’ home at least now.
If that woman is the real “mom” she should let that happen. What is the best for the child is the best for her.
That’s why it is so difficult to be a mom.

[Melosz]

Originally Posted by Tia

I think the wife is involved and the parents in law too. JMO. Can't be that MUCH OF A COINCIDENCE. And the killer just went after HIM and ONLY HIM.

Exactly. And with absolutley no motive.

Who the hell in the world wakes up, goes for a stroll in the park and decides, "Hey, I think I'm going to kill that guy over there in front of his wife and kid just for kicks!"? Nobody. Murder for hire by either the wife or in-laws, IMO.

Poor guy and his now fatherless child

[odette]

Doc says keep daughter of Daniel Malakov away from mom

nydailynews.com - NICHOLAS HIRSHON and TINA MOORE - November 2nd 2007

A court-appointed child psychologist told a judge Thursday that the 4-year-old who saw her dentist dad gunned down in broad daylight should not be returned to her mother.

Instead, Dr. Paul Hymowitz testified at a custody hearing in Queens Family Court that Michelle Malakov should be placed in the custody of her father's family. — continued: »

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crim...malakov-2.html

[odette]

SLAIN DENTIST RIPPED WIFE

nypost.com - LUCY CARNE and JENNIFER FERMINO

November 2, 2007 -- The orthodontist gunned down in Queens on Sunday had called his wife "irrational, unstable and violently inclined," a child psychologist testified yesterday before advising the court not to return the dead man's daughter to her mother until further investigation.

Dr. Paul Hymowatz told a Queens Family Court judge that 4-year-old Michelle should stay in the custody of the Administration for Children's Services. — continued: »

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11022007..._wife_8328.htm

[odette]

Slain dentist's daughter in foster care after abuse charge

nydailynews.com - NICOLE BODE, VERONIKA BELENKAYA and ALISON GENDAR - November 3rd 2007

The 4-year-old Queens girl who saw her father shot to death in a park is now in foster care amid allegations that her grandmother hit her, attorneys said Friday night.

Michelle Malakov was taken from her paternal grandparents after she told social workers her grandma had struck her in the face, authorities and law enforcement sources said. — continued

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crim...er_care_a.html

[odette]

DENTIST'S EX FACES A DRILLING

nypost.com - ERIC LENKOWITZ

November 5, 2007 -- The heated custody battle for a 4-year-old Queens girl who saw her orthodontist dad gunned down in broad daylight is expected to come to a dramatic close today, with "blockbuster" witnesses' testimony and her mother's abuse and neglect charges sunk by a video showing the child laughing and dancing. — continued

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11052007...ing_615126.htm

[odette]

'HAPPY' KID BELIES MOM ACCUSATION

nypost.com - JOHN MAZOR and ANGELA MONTEFINISE

November 4, 2007 -- The day before 4-year- old Michelle Malakov was supposedly crying in her mother's arms and accusing her grandmother of beating her, she playfully mugged for a camera, happily grinning from ear to ear. — continued

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11042007...ion_662017.htm

[odette]

Daughter of Slain Man in Foster Care

nytimes.com - MANNY FERNANDEZ - November 4, 2007

A 4-year-old girl whose father was killed at a Queens playground last week was taken from her father’s relatives on Friday and placed in foster care, lawyers in the case said. — continued

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/ny...3156b4&ei=5087

[One2Snoop]

How sad for this little girl. Just think of the emotional scars she's going to have regarding first seeing her father gunned down before her very eyes and now being taken away from anyone associated with family.

[odette]

Ex-wife of slain dentist speaks out

Eyewitness News Exclusive

abclocal.go.com - Eyewitness News

(Queens - WABC, November 5, 2007) - She reportedly watched a gunman murder her former husband right in front of her eyes. Now, she's speaking out and demanding her daughter be returned.

Mazoltuv Borukhova spent much of Monday fighting for custody of her daughter -- the little girl who also saw the deadly shooting.

Eyewitness News reporter NJ Burkett has the exclusive story. — continued


http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?se...cal&id=5744894

[odette]

At Hearing on Child Neglect Petition, Doctor Testifies That Slain Husband Beat Her

nytimes.com - By AL BAKER and ANN FARMER - November 6, 2007

A woman whose estranged husband was shot dead on a Queens playground last month cried in Queens Family Court yesterday as she testified about her broken marriage and the custody battle she and her spouse were waging over their 4-year-old daughter. — continued

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/ny...l?ref=nyregion

[odette]

Slain dentist's wife speaks of abuse in court

newsday.com - ROCCO PARASCANDOLA - November 6, 2007

A woman engaged in a bitter custody battle with her estranged husband when he was shot to death sobbed yesterday in Queens Family Court as she told how he beat her and sexually abused their daughter.

And in another twist in the current custody battle for the girl, who witnessed her dad executed at a Queens playground, a state senator testified that the girl's maternal aunts asked her what would happen if the father couldn't take care of her.

"What happens if [the daughter] disappears?" Savino remembers the women asking.

"My advice was against this course of action," Savino testified. "I told them that they would find her and [the sisters] would be extradited and that [the daughter] would wind up in foster care and that they could face jail time." — continued

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ne...0,558907.story

[odette]

State Senator Testifies In Custody Battle

gothamist.com - November 6, 2007

Excerpt: State Senator Savino (pictured) said that on October 18, she met with Borukhova and two of her sisters. Savino said that one of the sisters asked, "What if something happens? What if [Malakov] can't take care of her?" to which Savino said Borukhova would probably receive custody. Then she was asked, "What if she [Michelle] disappears?" and Savino said, "‘If you’re asking me what I think you’re asking, I cannot advise you more strongly against this action. They will find her. They will extradite her here. She will go to jail. Your niece will end up in foster care. You will also go to jail." Savino said that when she read reports of Malakov's death, she went to authorities.

State Senator Diane Savino

http://gothamist.com/2007/11/06/state_senator_t.php

[odette]

Slain dentist's in-law sought custody advice from Island senator

Savino recalled meeting and notified the police after hearing a report of shooting in Queens

STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE - By DOUG AUER - Tuesday, November 06, 2007

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A phone call placed to detectives by a Staten Island state senator might prove to be the key to unlocking the mysterious slaying of a Queens orthodontist last month.

Ten days before the murder, Sen. Diane Savino was sought out by the sisters of Dr. Mazoltuv Borukhova, a specialist in internal medicine at North Shore University Hospital, who was in the middle of a nasty custody battle with her estranged husband, Dr. Daniel Malakov. — continued X 2 pages

http://www.silive.com/news/advance/i...310.xml&coll=1

[odette]

Ex-Wife of Dentist Slain in Queens Testifies

1010wins.com - Tuesday, 06 November

NEW YORK (AP) -- The ex-wife of an orthodontist shot to death at a Queens playground testified at a hearing that he physically abused her. — continued

http://www.1010wins.com/Ex-Wife-of-D...tifies/1178712

[odette]

Politician's surprise testimony at Malakov custody hearing

nydailynews.com - NICOLE BODE, TINA MOORE and CORKY SIEMASZKO - November 6th 2007

Ten days before a Queens dentist was shot dead in front of his 4-year-old daughter, his ex-wife and her sisters sat down with state Sen. Diane Savino and posed an ominous question.

"What if something happens?" one of Dr. Mazoltuv Borukhova's sisters asked, Savino testified yesterday. "What if he can't take care of her?" — continued

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crim..._malako-1.html

Mazoltuv Borukhova (l.), ex-wife of slain Queens
dentist Daniel Malakov, is accompanied by attorney
Florence Fass to Family Court.