New York. The brutal murder of a 33-year-old tech entrepreneur in New York seems to be solved only a few days after his body, which was probably dismembered with an electric saw, was found. The 21-year-old former assistant to the victim was arrested and charged with murder, said Rodney Harrison of the New York police on Friday (local time).
The man was responsible for the victim’s finances and personal affairs. But he owed his former employer “a significant amount of money”. The case made headlines around the world.
The perpetrator wanted to remove traces
The victim’s body was found earlier this week by his cousin in the man’s luxury apartment in a trendy district in southern Manhattan. According to media reports, the cousin wanted to see if she was okay because she hadn’t heard from him in a long time. In the apartment she found the dismembered body – several body parts were stuffed in large plastic bags – and called the police. An electric saw was still wired to a socket near the body.
The alleged perpetrator followed his victim on Monday in the elevator to the apartment, the NYPD said. He put him out of action with a stun gun and then attacked him. According to the coroner, the victim died from numerous stab wounds to the neck and upper body.
According to media reports, the alleged perpetrator then wanted to remove the traces of his act and bought cleaning products for this purpose. Maybe the cousin’s visit on Tuesday bothered him and he disappeared through the back entrance of the apartment. He was arrested three days later at a friend’s home not far away.
“We are deeply sad”
The man had worked for the victim for several years, it was said. After the tech entrepreneur realized that he had stolen around 90,000 dollars, he fired him – but did not report the crime and set up a repayment plan.
“We are deeply sad to have to inform about the sudden and tragic death of our founder,” said Gokada, the entrepreneur’s start-up, which offers motorcycle rides mainly in Nigeria’s capital Lagos, via a short message service Twitter. “He was a great leader, inspiration and positive light for all of us.” The victim’s family said the man had “a brilliant and innovative spirit”.
The victim’s parents are from Bangladesh; he was born in Saudi Arabia. The family later moved to New York State, where the man founded several internet companies.
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