Killer of dismembered tech CEO found guilty of murder
AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez
- Tyrese Haspil was found guilty on all counts in the murder of his former boss, tech CEO Fahim Saleh.
- Haspil admitted to fatally stabbing and dismembering Saleh in 2020.
- Haspil embezzled nearly $400,000 from Saleh while working as his personal assistant.
A Manhattan jury on Monday found Tyrese Haspil guilty of all counts in the brutal murder of his former boss, tech CEO Fahim Saleh.
Haspil, 25, admitted to fatally stabbing and dismembering Saleh, who was CEO of the ride-hailing and delivery service Gokada, to hide a $400,000 embezzlement. Saleh was found beheaded and sawed into six pieces in his Manhattan condo in July 2020.
A jury found Haspil guilty of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree grand larceny, one count of second-degree burglary, tampering with evidence, and concealing a human corpse, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced.
"Today, a jury found Tyrese Haspil guilty of brutally murdering Fahim Saleh, his former mentor and boss, after stealing approximately $400,000 from him," Bragg said in a statement. "Tyrese Haspil tragically cut Mr. Saleh's life short — a man who came from a close-knit immigrant family and followed his passions to become a successful entrepreneur.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that Haspil meticulously planned the gory murder to hide his financial crimes, while Haspil's legal team tried to convince the jury that he killed Saleh in a misguided attempt to impress his French girlfriend, citing an "extreme emotional disturbance."
Saleh hired Haspil as a personal assistant in May 2018, in a role that allowed him access to the CEO's finances. For several months, prosecutors said Haspil conducted a complicated embezzlement scheme to purchase lavish gifts for his girlfriend.
Prosecutors told the jury that Haspil was active on the dating app Bumble while he was with his girlfriend — an attempt to cast doubt on Haspil's lawyer's claims that his love for his then-girlfriend drove him to murder.
The jury heard the harrowing 911 call made by the woman — and Saleh's cousin — who discovered his beheaded body and saw the security footage that preceded the murder. In the video, Haspil can be seen shocking Saleh with a Taser in the elevator of Saleh's condominium.
Saleh's family members attended the trial, sitting stoically in the pews during closing arguments, Business Insider's Laura Italiano reported.
Haspil is set to be sentenced in September.