The hunt for the suspect in the brutal killing of Fahim Saleh, the CEO of Gokada, has paid off.
The former personal assistant of the 33-year-old tech start-up founder was arrested on Friday morning and is expected to be charged for the killing, the New York Times reported citing some officials.
The suspect, Tyrese Devon Haspil, 21, began working for Mr Saleh since the age of 16 and would be charged with second degree murder and other crimes.
Mr Saleh had fired Mr Haspil after discovering that he had stolen about $90,000 from him. He did not report the theft to the police, instead, he offered to set up a repayment plan so that Haspil could return the money. Investigators believe this is a motive for Mr Haspil to murder his former boss.
Officials said Mr Saleh paid his former assistant well.
The suspect was arrested on Friday at 7am, outside a building on Crosby Street where he had been staying with a female friend.
After the murder, the killer used a credit card to pay for a car to a Home Depot to buy cleaning supplies. He returned to Mr Saleh’s apartment the next day to dismember the body and clean up the crime scene.
Police believe that on the day of the murder, the killer — who was dressed in black three-piece suit, wearing a black mask and latex gloves and carrying a duffel bag – followed Mr Saleh in an elevator and used a Taser to immobilize him when he exited the elevator.
Medical examiners said today, that Mr Saleh died due to multiple stab wounds to his neck and torso on Monday.
Initially, investigators thought it was a murder by professional hitmen ordered by international business partners who were disgruntled with Mr Saleh, but changed their minds when they discovered several mistakes the suspect had made.
The mistake, the New York Times reported, citing an investigator, include buying a Taser online with his own credit card and signing for the package when it arrived in June.
The West African Pilot News had reported that Mr Saleh’s sister discovered the dismembered limb, torso and a headless body of her brother on Tuesday. She found several plastic bags and an electric saw which was still plugged to a power outlet.
Investigators believe the arrival of Saleh’s sister at the building’s lobby, interrupted the killer who escaped through the back door.
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