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33-year-old tech entrepreneur murdered, body dismembered in NYC; aide arrested

33-year-old tech entrepreneur murdered, body dismembered in NYC; aide arrested

Jul 18, 2020
02:11 pm

What's the story

The New York City Police made substantial headway in the investigation into the grisly murder of a young tech entrepreneur, as they arrested his 21-year-old former personal assistant on Friday. In a crime that stunned even the law enforcement officials, 33-year-old Fahim Saleh was murdered, and his body dismembered, inside his luxury apartment in Manhattan. The murder had all the elements of "professional killing."

Career

Who was Fahim Saleh, the "Elon Musk of developing world"

Son of Bangladeshi immigrants, Fahim is said to have co-founded his first company when he was in high school. A food delivery app he created, catered to college students. Fahim was also the founding partner at Adventure Capital, a venture capital fund that helped companies which provided high-tech solutions to developing countries. He was hailed as "Elon Musk of the developing world."

Successes

He founded companies focusing on problems of developing countries

One of Fahim's most celebrated achievements is Pathao, a ride company founded in 2015, which is hugely popular in Bangladesh. Cognizant of the fact that that two-wheelers are more feasible in developing countries, he also founded Gokada, a motorcycle ride-hailing and delivery app in Nigeria. Both the companies paid tributes after his demise, with Pathao's co-founder Hussein M Elius saying that Fahim believed technology could transform lives.

House

Fahim was murdered in the same house he purchased recently

As he moved up the ladder, Fahim inspired thousands of immigrants' kids. His cherished property - a $2.2 million apartment in Manhattan - sung tales of his hard work. Unfortunately, this was the same house where the bright young entrepreneur was killed by a masked man, wearing an all-black attire. A security video showed the killer following Fahim into the apartment.

Murder

Killer stabbed Fahim to death, then cut his body

Police said the killer carried a duffel bag into the house. After subduing Fahim with a taser, the killer stabbed him to death. In fact, he returned the next day to cut Fahim's body into pieces. One law enforcement official said several plastic bags were found from the crime scene, indicating that the killer tried erasing as much evidence as possible.

Details

Fahim's head and limbs were found elsewhere in the apartment

Law enforcement officials were alerted of the crime by Fahim's sister, who went to check on him after receiving no response from him for one day. When cops arrived, the electric saw, used to dismember his body, was still plugged in, implying that the killer's "job" was interrupted. Fahim's head and limbs were dumped somewhere else in the apartment.

Murderer

Subsequent investigation led police to the murderer - Fahim's ex-assistant

The initial probe convinced the police the murder was an "insider" job, eventually leading them to Tyrese Devon Haspil, Fahim's ex-personal assistant. He made the crime look like a "professional episode" to mislead investigators. When working with Fahim, Haspil handled his finances and personal matters, Rodney K. Harrison, the chief detective informed media. He also owed a significant amount of money to Fahim.

Motive

Haspil stole from Fahim, but latter didn't report him

According to officials, Fahim had learned Haspil, who worked with him for five years, stole roughly $90,000 from him. Though Fahim didn't report him, he sacked Haspil and offered a repayment plan as well. A Long Island native, Haspil was reportedly planning to flee by Monday from an apartment in Crosby Street, where he lived. He now faces second-degree murder and other charges.

Mistakes

Notably, Haspil's rookie mistakes gave him away

Police said Haspil made some rookie mistakes, which blew the lid off his intentions. He purchased the taser online and also signed for it when the package arrived in June. Haspil also purchased balloons, to celebrate the birthday of the woman he was living with, using Fahim's credit card. Amusingly, the balloons were present at the apartment when cops went to arrest him.

Quote

Fahim never wanted to leave anyone behind: Family

In a statement released on Wednesday, Fahim's bereaved family remembered him. "He is so much more. His brilliant and innovative mind took everyone who was a part of his world on a journey and he made sure never to leave anyone behind," they said.