Fahim Saleh, 33, a longtime Dutchess County resident who started his career while living in Hopewell Junction, was found murdered and dismembered by someone “dressed as a ninja” in all black, investigators said.
Saleh, who was born in Saudi Arabia, moved with his parents to the Poughkeepsie area in his early teens.
Police said that it is believed Saleh was attacked when he got off the elevator to his seventh-floor apartment on the Lower East Side.
Someone donning dark clothing was seen in surveillance footage from Monday, July 13 that is being reviewed by investigators.
Saleh’s body was found by his sister, with an electric saw next to his torso, according to the New York Times.
The New York Daily News reported that detectives believe that the dismemberment was the result of a “business deal gone lethally bad,” though no official motive has been released by investigators.
Other reports state that the killer may have waited overnight before taking to Saleh’s body with the electric saw.
Before developing Gokada, a motorcycle ride-sharing app that operates out of Nigeria in 2018, Saleh founded PrankDial. He then moved on to create Pathao, a ride-hailing company.
Following his murder, Saleh’s family is calling on the NYPD to track down the “ninja” who killed him.
“No words or actions to provide any of us comfort except the capture of the person who exhibited nothing short of evil upon our loved one,” the family wrote in a statement. “We need and urge the NYPD and other members of law enforcement to work diligently to get to the bottom of this horrific crime and bring justice for Fahim.
“Fahim is more than what you are reading,” the family said. “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.”
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