A former Olympic boxer has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his daughter and dumping her body in a Staten Island park, according to Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday.
Kabary Salem, 57, of New York, was found guilty of first-degree murder after a week-long trial related to the 2019 murder. Salem, once known as the “Egyptian Magician,” represented Egypt in the Olympics in 1992 and 1996.
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During the trial, witnesses testified that Salem beat and strangled his daughter, Ola Salem, to death in Lebanon County in October 2019.
According to the records, the attack occurred after Salem asked his daughter to assist in painting a restaurant that was about to open in Palmyra.
Authorities assert that they found the victim’s body in a Staten Island park and recovered Salem’s DNA under her fingernails.
Investigators also discovered GPS data and security video that showed Salem driving from Palmyra to Staten Island on the day of Ola Salem’s death. A blue shovel that Salem was observed purchasing at Lowe’s was also discovered near the deceased, according to court testimony.
Following his daughter’s murder, Salem fled to Kuwait, but charging records reveal his extradition back to New York in 2020. Salem subsequently pled not guilty in September 2024.
Attorney General Dave Sunday issued the following statement in response to Salem’s conviction:
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.
Salem risks life in prison when he is sentenced on November 26.
