At the time of his death, Fahim Saleh was 33 years old; by that time in his life, he’d launched multiple startups in spaces as disparate as online humor and transportation. Earlier this week, Saleh’s body was found in his Manhattan apartment. He had been stunned, then stabbed to death and dismembered; one law enforcement official who commented on the case voiced the belief that the killing was a professional hit.
Now, more details have emerged in the killing, and a suspect is in custody. At The New York Times, William K. Rashbaum and Michael Gold report that Saleh’s personal assistant Tyrese Devon Haspil has been arrested. According to the article, the police are operating under the theory that the killing took place for financial reasons:
Detectives believe that the motive for the killing stemmed from Mr. Saleh having discovered that the assistant had stolen tens of thousands of dollars from him, despite the fact that Mr. Saleh had not reported the man and had set up what amounted to a repayment plan for him to return the money, one of the officials said.
The authorities also believe that the murder took place on Monday, and that the killer subsequently bought supplies at Home Depot to clean up the area where the killing had taken place.
Saleh founded several technology companies following his graduation from Bentley University in 2009. Most recently, his work focused on ride-share companies, including the Nigeria-based Gokada. He was also one of the partners in a New York-based venture capital fund.
Haspil is expected to be charged with second-degree murder.
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