Ola Salem who was brutally killed by her father, the Egyptian Olympic boxer Kabary Salem. 

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

A former Olympic boxer from New York has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his daughter in Pennsylvania, then driving her body to a Staten Island park to dispose of it, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025.

Kabary Salem, 57, was previously found guilty in October by a Lebanon County jury of first-degree murder for the 2019 killing of his 25-year-old daughter, Ola Salem, an activist known for her work with domestic violence survivors.

Prosecutors said the Egyptian-born Olympian — once known in the ring as “The Egyptian Magician” — beat and strangled his daughter to death in Palmyra, then drove her body to Bloomingdale Park in Staten Island, where he left her under leaves and branches. Her body was discovered by a passerby shortly before 9 a.m. on Oct. 24, 2019, according to investigators.

‘Purely Evil’ Murder

“This defendant did the unthinkable — he murdered his own daughter, then tried to get away with it by disposing of her body,” Attorney General Sunday said in a statement following the verdict. “I cannot fathom a series of criminal acts more despicable, senseless, and purely evil.”

A blue shovel, like one Salem was seen purchasing at a Lowe’s store, was found near the body. Investigators said DNA found under Ola’s fingernails matched her father’s, and GPS tracking placed his rented car at his Palmyra restaurant, a nearby hotel, the hardware store, and finally the Staten Island park where her body was discovered.

From Olympic Ring To Murder Trial

Salem, a professional middleweight boxer, represented Egypt in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics. His career was marred by controversy in 1999 after an opponent, Randie Carver, died during a match in Kansas City following a series of illegal headbutts.

The former athlete turned restaurant owner later brought his daughter to Pennsylvania in October 2019 under the guise of helping him paint a business he co-owned. She never made it home.

Ola Salem was well-known in New York’s Muslim community for her advocacy work with victims of domestic violence.

Flight And Capture

Days after speaking with police, Kabary Salem fled to the Middle East, sparking a global manhunt. Members of the U.S. Marshals Service and the NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force captured him in Kuwait in December 2020.

He was extradited to the United States the following year and charged with murder, manslaughter, strangulation, and concealment of a human corpse.

Verdict And Sentencing

After a week-long trial, the Lebanon County jury found Salem guilty of first-degree murder, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. He faced a mandatory life sentence. On Wednesday, Nov. 26, Sunday announced that Kabary Salem has been sentenced to life in prison for the killing of his daughter in Palmyra and for disposing of her body in Staten Island.

At sentencing, Chief Deputy Attorney General Brian Zarallo told the court that Ola fought for her life while realizing her demise came at the hands of her 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 investigated the case after Ola’s body was discovered. Her cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma.

This case was prosecuted by Chief Deputy Attorney General Brian Zarallo and Senior Deputy Attorney General Lauren Eichelberger.

You can donate to the domestic violence center where Ola volunteered by clicking here.