A Virginia man who claims to be a woman has been accused of stabbing his father to death last weekend.

Just before 9 a.m. on June 3, the Virginia Beach Police Department said it received a call about a domestic dispute in an upscale neighborhood overlooking Linkhorn Bay. When officers arrived at a mansion located on Wren Place, they discovered 68-year-old Abbey Horwitz, a well-respected dentist in the area, in clear medical distress. According to a police report, Horwitz had suffered "multiple stab wounds." Despite the best efforts of paramedics, he could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police immediately zeroed in on a suspect: Michael Horwitz, one of Horwitz's three children. Michael, who prefers the name Norah, identifies as a woman and claims to be transgender. The VBPD statement referred to Michael as "she," as did a report on the story from WAVY-TV.

There is some discrepancy about Michael's age though. The VBPD statement claims he is 34, but jail records indicate that he will turn 37 later this month. A tweet from the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Department also stated that Michael is 36 and made no reference to Michael's gender identity:

Michael Horwitz was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and assault during the commission of a felony. He appeared in court on Monday and has a bond hearing scheduled for Tuesday. He has been assigned a public defender and, according to the sheriff's office, "declined to be interviewed" by law enforcement.

The circumstances leading up to Abbey Horwitz's gruesome slaying remain unclear, and no motive for the crime has been reported.

By all accounts, Abbey Horwitz was beloved by his patients and his community. According to the website for his dental office, The Art of Dentistry, he and his wife Brenda had been married for more than 25 years. In addition to Michael, they had another son, Jonathan, and a daughter, Shayna. On the website, Abbey described himself as "a proud parent."

Horwitz even once traveled to Nicaragua with the Physicians for Peace program to offer dental treatment to locals and to educate them about dental hygiene.

"It is with a heavy heart we will be closed to mourn the passing of our beloved Abbey," said a sign taped to the door of The Art of Dentistry office.

Meet Dr. Abbey Horwitz of The Art of Dentistry in Virginia Beachyoutu.be

Aside from his dental practice, Abbey Horwitz was an active member in several Jewish organizations, including the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. A representative from the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater reportedly described Dr. Horwitz as "a wonderful man."

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