What happened to Fahim Saleh? Details explored ahead of New York Homicide on Oxygen
Fahim Saleh was a Bangladeshi-American tech entrepreneur and co-founder of companies like Gokada in Nigeria and Pathao in Bangladesh. His body was found mutilated in his Manhattan apartment on 14 July 2020. The incident was shocking for the tech industry, as Saleh was known for empowering startups in emerging markets.
Investigation revealed that Fahim was murdered by his personal assistant, Tyrese Haspil. He first hit him with a taser and then stabbed him with a knife. The next day, he chopped the body into pieces and stuffed it in a plastic bag. This scene came to light when Fahim's cousin arrived there and informed the police.
New York Homicide's episode will give a glimpse of the initial events related to Fahim Saleh's murder, planning, forensic investigation, and disclosure of the crime. The episode is set to make its debut on Oxygen on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at 9 pm ET.
The true story behind Fahim Saleh's murder explored
According to The New York Times, Tyrese Haspil began working for Fahim Saleh as an executive assistant in May 2018. Within months, he began stealing money from Fahim's companies through fraudulent PayPal and bank transactions. Fahim learned of the thefts, initially $90,000, in early 2020. He did not report them to the police, and asked him to return the money. But Haspil's thefts grew to $400,000.
As per ABC News, on July 13, 2020, Haspil attacked Fahim in his apartment on Manhattan's Lower East Side. He was caught on camera wearing a black suit and mask, and as Fahim entered the apartment, he hit him with a Taser and stabbed him multiple times in the neck and torso.
As per a press release from the District Attorney's Office of New York County, dated September 10, 2024, Haspil returned the next day with cleaning supplies and an electric saw. He beheaded Faheem and dismembered his body, which he stuffed into plastic bags. When the battery in the saw died, he had to go out to buy a new charger. Meanwhile, Fahim's cousin arrived and found the body.
Although Haspil tried to destroy evidence, such as vacuuming up the Taser's disc tags and Googling terms like "dismembered body," police found CCTV footage, credit card records, and forensic evidence. He was arrested at an Airbnb on 17 July 2020, as per the District Attorney's Office press release.
The court trial for Fahim Saleh's murder explored
As per the reports, Tyrese Haspil was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, grand theft, and forcible trespassing. During the trial, the defense pleaded "extreme emotional disturbance," saying he was afraid of losing his French girlfriend and under pressure to maintain his lifestyle.
The prosecution reportedly argued the opposite, saying it was a planned murder. They presented surveillance video, stolen financial records, and internet searches as evidence. In June 2024, a jury found him guilty on all charges. On September 10, 2024, he was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.
Oxygen's New York Homicide episode will present the initial events, investigation, and judicial verdict of the case to the audience. Viewers can watch the episode to get more details on Fahim Saleh's murder case. The episode will run at 9 pm ET, exclusively on Oxygen Channel.
