HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that a Lebanon County jury convicted a New York man of first-degree murder for killing his daughter, then driving to Staten Island to dispose of her body.
The jury convicted 57-year-old Kabary Salem on Friday, following a week-long trial regarding the death of Ola Salem.
Kabary Salem faces a mandatory life in prison when he is sentenced on Nov. 26.
The Office of Attorney General presented testimony that Salem beat and strangled his daughter to death in Palmyra, then drove her body to Staten Island and disposed of her in a park.
“The facts in this case show the defendant did the unthinkable — he murdered his own daughter, then tried to get away with it by disposing of her body. I cannot fathom a series of criminal acts more despicable, senseless, and purely evil,” Attorney General Sunday said. “I commend the jury for their careful attention to the evidence and applaud our prosecutors and the investigators for their relentless pursuit of justice.”
New York City Police Department investigated the case.
Ola Salem‘s body was found in the park. Her cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma.
Prosecutors presented evidence that surveillance video and GPS data showed the man drove from Palmyra to the park in Staten Island. His DNA was also found under the woman’s fingernails.
A blue shovel — similar to one Kabary Salem was seen on video purchasing at a Lowe’s store — was found near the body, according to testimony.
A days after his initial interview with police, Kabary Salem fled to the Middle East until he was arrested in December 2020.
This case was prosecuted by Chief Deputy Attorney General Brian Zarallo and Senior Deputy Attorney General Lauren Eichelberger.
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