Tyrese Haspil, Fahim Saleh’s 25-year-old personal assistant, is currently on trial for the brutal killing of the tech CEO. Haspil is charged with decapitating Saleh in his apartment in New York City in July of 2020. Haspil’s defense attorney, Sam Roberts, argued on Friday, May 24 that Haspil committed the act out of fear his girlfriend, Marine Chaveuz, would leave him after discovering his theft of a large sum of money from Saleh.
The professional relationship between Haspil and Saleh, the 33-year-old venture capitalist and CEO of the Nigeria-based Gokada, a motorbike startup, began when Saleh hired Haspil to handle his personal and business affairs. Haspil was seen by Saleh as a protégé. However, Saleh confronted Haspil over $90,000 that had vanished from a company account in January 2020. Instead of filing charges, Saleh allowed Haspil to repay the money gradually.
Haspil, however, continued his fraudulent activities, embezzling money from Saleh’s company using a PayPal account. Upon discovering that Saleh had uncovered an additional theft of $400,000, Haspil grew desperate. Prosecutors assert that Haspil carefully orchestrated Saleh’s murder to avoid being prosecuted and to keep his girlfriend from finding out about his illegal activities.
On July 13, 2020, Haspil allegedly invaded Saleh’s $2.4 million apartment in the Lower East Side, where he used a Taser to immobilize Saleh before fatally stabbing him. Prosecutors provided a detailed account of the horrific event, stating that Haspil later dismembered Saleh’s body, severing his head and limbs.
“During this time, he not only planned the murder but also how to escape justice,” said Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Linda Ford in court. “He intended to cover up the crime, eliminate his debt, and prevent Fahim Saleh from testifying against him.”
Evidence showed that Haspil used Saleh’s credit cards to purchase supplies for the crime scene, including a Taser, cleaning materials, and a saw. However, his efforts to conceal his actions were unsuccessful. An identification tag from the Taser purchased by Haspil was found at the scene.
Despite his claimed devotion to Chaveuz, Haspil was seen with another woman just days after the murder. He was reportedly sighted with an unknown woman in Noho (North of Houston St., New York City), buying birthday balloons and other high-end items using Saleh’s stolen money. He was reportedly planning a birthday party for this new acquaintance at an Airbnb loft on Crosby Street, where police later found lavish gifts purchased with Saleh’s money, such as a leather APC tote bag and Christian Louboutin shoes.
In court, defense attorney Roberts argued that a history of trauma, including years of abuse by his schizophrenic mother, marked Haspil’s life. Roberts contended that Haspil’s actions, though irrational, seemed rational to him at the time. He suggested that Haspil was under “extreme emotional disturbance” and requested the jury to consider a manslaughter conviction instead of first-degree murder. A manslaughter conviction would result in a sentence of five to 25 years in prison, compared to the 20 years to life sentence for first-degree murder.
“While his actions may seem irrational to us,” Roberts stated, “they made a certain sense to him at that moment, given his perspective and circumstances.”
The prosecution, on the other hand, portrayed Haspil as having acted with calculated premeditation. They presented extensive evidence, including security footage, financial records, and forensic findings, arguing that Haspil had planned the murder well ahead of time. The prosecution contended that Haspil’s intention was to conceal his theft and evade the repercussions of his actions.
The jury heard a distressing 911 call from Saleh’s cousin, who found his dismembered body in his apartment. His torso was found in the living room, surrounded by construction bags, a sight that shocked even experienced investigators.
Haspil has entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. As the trial proceeds, the jury is left to determine whether Haspil’s actions were due to an emotional breakdown or were a carefully planned crime to evade prosecution and keep his relationship with Chaveuz intact.
Haspil is being held in custody during the trial. His defense team is arguing for a lesser charge of manslaughter, while the prosecution is pushing for a conviction on first-degree murder charges, which, if found guilty, would result in Haspil spending the rest of his life in prison.
