HARRISBURG, PA — A New York man who killed his daughter in Pennsylvania before driving her body to Staten Island to dispose of it has been sentenced to life in prison, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Wednesday.
Kabary Salem, 57, was convicted in October by a Lebanon County jury of first-degree murder for the 2019 killing of his daughter, Ola Salem, whose body was later found in a New York City park. Prosecutors said the victim died from strangulation and blunt-force trauma.
At sentencing, Chief Deputy Attorney General Brian Zarallo told the court that Ola “fought for her life” as she realized she was being killed by her own father.
“A father is supposed to love and protect his child, but, this defendant committed one of the cruelest acts imaginable — he murdered his daughter in cold blood,” Attorney General Sunday said. “There is but one acceptable punishment for such a heinous crime. This life sentence will not bring Ola back, but it offers a measure of justice and accountability against the defendant.”
The New York City Police Department began the investigation after discovering Ola’s body. Prosecutors from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General presented evidence during the week-long trial showing that surveillance footage and GPS data placed Kabary Salem traveling from Palmyra to the Staten Island park where the body was dumped. Forensic testing also found his DNA beneath the victim’s fingernails.
The case was prosecuted by Chief Deputy Attorney General Zarallo and Senior Deputy Attorney General Lauren Eichelberger.
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