Dr. Abbey Horwitz, a well-respected dentist from Virginia Beach, was found dead at his home over the weekend.
The Virginia Beach Police Department reported that officers were called to Horwitz's house on Sunday morning, where they found the 68-year-old suffering from multiple stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The police arrested Horwitz's daughter, Michael "Norah" Horwitz, who is transitioning. The 34-year-old female has been charged with second-degree murder and stabbing in the commission of a felony.
According to the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office, the stabbing suspect has been placed under suicide watch. Horwitz's daughter made her initial court appearance on Monday via videoconference from jail, where she told a judge that she worked as a dishwasher. A public defender was assigned to represent her.
The police stated that Horwitz was killed due to a domestic dispute but did not reveal a possible motive. Horwitz, a married father of three, had operated his practice, The Art of Dentistry, for over 42 years. A former patient described him as a "super funny guy" who "always made you feel at ease no matter the procedure being done."
Horwitz was also known for his philanthropic work. He volunteered his dental services in Israel, Romania, and the former Soviet Union, according to his business's website. Recently, he traveled to Nicaragua as part of Physicians for Peace to conduct training on good oral hygiene.
Horwitz was a former President of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, where a member eulogized him as "a wonderful man." He grew up in the Bronx and graduated from Fordham University and the Medical College of Virginia School of Dentistry in Richmond.
Friends and co-workers who gathered at Dr. Horwitz's former practice in Virginia Beach on Monday remembered him as a generous man who was always willing to help others. Michele Nielsen, who owns a business nearby, said Horwitz had been her dentist since she was eight. "He was also instrumental in helping us start [the business]," she said. "He jumped right on board and gave us advice and came to our grand opening without us even having to ask him."
Horwitz lived with his family in a sprawling four-bedroom, five-bathroom home with an estimated value of around $2.1 million, which he purchased in 2015, according to the real estate site Zillow.com. A neighbor told the Virginian-Pilot that Horwitz would often host cookouts for four generations of his family, including his parents, children, and grandchildren. "He seemed like the consummate family guy," the neighbor said, referring to the wholesome 1970s TV drama about a close-knit family, "What I will always remember is he was always having his whole family together, kind of like 'The Waltons.'"
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