Former Pro Boxer Whose Punch Once Killed a Man Is Now Accused of Murdering His Daughter
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A former Olympic boxer whose knockout punch in the ring once resulted in his opponent's death is now accused of murdering his daughter in New York City.
Earlier this month, the 52-year-old Kabary Salem, who represented Egypt in the Olympics in 1992 and 1996, was taken into custody in Kuwait and extradited to the United States after being indicted on a murder charge by a Staten Island grand jury in November, the Staten Island Advance reports.
In an email to PEOPLE, the New York City Police Department confirmed Salem was arrested Dec. 19.
Kabary is accused of killing his daughter, 25-year-old Ola Salem, in 2019. He is being held on Rikers Island, reports The New York Daily News.
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Back in October 2019, Ola's fully-clothed body was discovered by a jogger in Staten Island's Bloomingdale Park, after it had been dragged through the woods and later covered in leaves, the Advance reports. She had been strangled, sources said at the time, according to The Daily News.
It was not immediately clear if Salem has entered a plea or retained an attorney to comment on his behalf.
Per the Advance, Ola lived in Rosebank and volunteered at the New York City-based Asiyah Women’s Center, and was a fierce advocate for Muslim women who suffered from domestic violence.
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In an interview with The New York Times in November 2019, Salem claimed that his daughter had expressed concerns of being followed by another vehicle on the highway, telling the publication, "She always said somebody would follow her."
"I want to know what happened to her, what is the reason for that — but no one tells me — I am just waiting," he added at the time. "She was a really good, beautiful girl."
Police now say these comments were Salem's attempt to divert suspicion away from himself.
Salem went by "The Egyptian Magician" and competed at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.
During his time as an athlete, the AP reported that he once knocked out his opponent, Randie Carver, during a bout in which Carver's family accused Salem of head-butting him multiple times. Carver never regained consciousness after being knocked out and then died two days later from blunt-force head trauma.
