Needham Murder Update: Uh, You Got the Wrong Guy

Update: The disorderly conduct charge against Hillel Neuer has been dropped.

Remember that guy who freaked out the employees at the Stone Hearth Pizza after a 78-year-old man was beaten to death in Needham? Turns out that he was a perfectly normal guy who just happened to be changing his clothes in the bathroom.

Franci R. Ellement at the Globe writes that Hillel Neuer is a human-rights activist who is the executive director of UN Watch. A spokesman for the American Jewish Committee talked to Ellement about the mixup:

"He's an internationally recognized human rights" advocate, Bandler said last night by telephone. "He's the nicest person you will ever meet."

Neuer was visiting the United States at the invitation of Yale University and traveled to Needham for private meetings with local supporters. He planned to observe the Sabbath then address the group today, Bandler said.

"It's pretty clear he was the unfortunate victim of a profound mix-up," Bandler said. "We're hopeful all this will be sorted out."

Neuer attracted attention at the pizzeria because he was jittery, he had a lot of large bags, he changed in the toilet, and he ate only one bite of his pizza. He actually sounds like a distracted, multitasking urbanite. Note to readers: Don't act nervous in Newton Needham!

More on the Newton Needham murder: Boston Criminal has been following the murder of 78-year-old Robert Moore in Needham and has much more analysis on how the media went into a tizzy over the incident. Elsewhere, records show that Moore's alleged killer, William B. Dunn, had been committed to a psychiatric ward in August. And a former neighbor has good memories of Robert Moore (via Universal Hub).

Photo of Hillel Neuer doing his regular job as head of UN Watch from unwatch.org.