TYRESE Devon Haspil was Fahim Saleh’s personal assistant and has been arrested on suspicion of the gruesome murder of his boss.
Detectives believe the motive for the killing stemmed from Saleh discovering that Haspil had stolen money from him.
Who is Tyrese Haspil?
Tyrese Devon Haspil, 25, was the personal assistant to tech CEO Fahim Saleh.
He was identified as a person of interest in the death of Saleh, who was found murdered in his New York City condo on Tuesday, July 14, 2020.
Haspil was arrested and charged with murder on July 17.
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His aunt Marjorine Sine described her nephew as sometimes troublesome but never having shown any inclination towards brutality.
She told The Daily News that Haspil had a difficult childhood, but one that wasn't violent.
Sine also recalled how her nephew often stayed out late and disrespected her.
“He wasn’t listening to me so he left,” she explained. "That’s what happened, we went to court. I couldn’t deal with it anymore.”
Haspil was suspected of embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from Saleh, according to The New York Times.
Saleh had not reported him to the cops and had set up a repayment plan for him to return the money, an official told the newspaper.
Law enforcement officers told the Daily Beast that they turned to Haspil after finding messages where Saleh accused him of stealing the money.
They also told the outlet that, after running a credit card check, they found out that Haspil's card was used to buy a saw and cleaning products as well as rides to and from the crime scene.
What happened to CEO Fahim Saleh?
Surveillance video inside Fahim Saleh's building captured him stepping into the elevator of his New York City residence on Monday, July 13, 2020, at approximately 1:40 pm.
The footage reportedly shows his alleged hit man - wearing a black suit, a hat, a black mask, and gloves - following him into the elevator.
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A source with the NYPD told NBC News that the suspect had a suitcase and the victim fell to the ground as soon as he got out of the elevator.
Footage showed that he appeared to be attacked when he got off the elevator, which opened into his apartment.
The body was cut with a power saw, which cops found at the scene still plugged into an electrical outlet.
“We have a torso, a head that’s been removed, arms, and legs,” NYPD spokesman Sergeant Carlos Nieves told The New York Daily News.
Barely any blood was found at the scene and nothing was stolen at the apartment, prompting one source to think that the suspect had been “interrupted,” the Post reported.
Apparently, the killer was alerted when his sister entered the apartment.
One of Saleh’s sisters stopped by his apartment around 3:30 pm on July 14, 2020, to do a welfare check after she had not heard from him in a day.
It is unclear which sister found him dismembered and decapitated but she discovered his torso in an area next to the living room.
One of Saleh’s friends told NBC that, “One of the neighbors heard screaming and very loud noises when this happened. I don’t know why the neighbors didn’t call the cops.”
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Where is Tyrese Haspil now?
Tyrese Haspil was arrested on July 17, 2020, and charged with the murder of Fahim Saleh.
On June 24, 2024, Haspil was found guilty of first-degree murder.
Haspil admitted to riding the elevator with Fahim Saleh before tasing him in the back and stabbing him, according to the New York Post.
He testified, “I Tased him in the back. I remember Tasing him in the back,” Haspil told jurors.
“I took out a knife and I started aiming for his neck.”
Throughout the trial, his defense argued that Haspil committed the grisly crime because of “extreme emotional disturbance.”
The prosecution countered that Haspil killed his former boss in an attempt to cover up his theft, which they estimate was as much as $400,000, per The Post.
His sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2024, and he is facing up to 25 years to life in prison.
