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Co-founder of Gokada found decapitated, dismembered inside New York condo

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271–280 of 405 posts

Re: Co-founder of Gokada found decapitated, dismembered inside New York condo

#271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Okay, to play devil's advocate for a moment. What is there to gain financially from killing him, if his previous business was gutted by regulatory changes? The killer was evidently belonging to a highly capable skillset, and I'm extrapolating that they very nearly got away with his body in tow, and nobody would've been the wiser. Could they not have kidnapped him and ransomed the company? If there's financial qualms…

Well, the idea is less financial gain and more punishment/retribution. You don't disappear/kill people in such a manner unless you want to send a message of some sort. It's possible that he might have taken an investment from someone that does not take failure/underdelivery as an answer. Or that Gokada's continued existence pissed off someone that intended the company to go under. It could also possibly be much more…

[deleted]

Re: Co-founder of Gokada found decapitated, dismembered inside New York condo

#272
post #178

We changed the url from https://abc7chicago.com/ny-tech-entrepreneur-found-decapitat... to one with more information and no autoplaying video. If anyone can suggest a better URL, we can change it again.

As far as I'm aware, this is the article that broke the story: https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-headless-t... . I first saw it around 5AM Lagos time. As a bonus there's no paywall. I am not sure but I think the coverage might come across as a bit tabloid-y however.

Ok, we can change to that from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/14/nyregion/dismembered-body.... Thanks.

Re: Co-founder of Gokada found decapitated, dismembered inside New York condo

#273

> The condos in the building are full-floor and the keyed elevator opens right into the apartment. Doesn't this mean that anybody with the [widely, publicly known] FDNY elevator override key can get right into the apartment? I've seen far too many physical pentesting talks (i.e. any at all) to trust a setup like that for my home in a city.

Would you have a house with windows on the street? Do you walk outside without body armor and a bullet proof vest? Get in a cab... without knowing the driver or having bullet proof glass? Society wouldn't be very fun or fruitful if we all lived in secure underground bunkers.

There's a qualitative difference between wanting to live in a bunker, and having the front door key to my house be on the Internet for anyone with a blank and a bastard file to copy in half an hour.

Not that penthouse problems will ever be my problems, granted. But let's not be too absurd here.

Re: Co-founder of Gokada found decapitated, dismembered inside New York condo

#274

> The death was not immediately labeled a homicide, and a Police Department spokesman said that the medical examiner’s office would determine the cause of death. Umm. I think it's safe to rule suicide out when the corpse was dismembered with a saw.

There have been cases where people have committed crimes (often on the books as "desecration of a human corpse") while trying to cover up accidents or suicides. Not saying it's the case here, but there's no point in jumping to conclusions.

Re: Co-founder of Gokada found decapitated, dismembered inside New York condo

#275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you have a house with windows on the street? Do you walk outside without body armor and a bullet proof vest? Get in a cab... without knowing the driver or having bullet proof glass? Society wouldn't be very fun or fruitful if we all lived in secure underground bunkers.

There's a qualitative difference between wanting to live in a bunker, and having the front door key to my house be on the Internet for anyone with a blank and a bastard file to copy in half an hour. Not that penthouse problems will ever be my problems, granted. But let's not be too absurd here.

Almost every single family home on the planet can be broken into just by smashing a window. That's a far bigger vulnerability than the possibility of hacking someone's elevator. Most burglars are not very tech savvy but everyone knows how to swing a hammer.

Re: Co-founder of Gokada found decapitated, dismembered inside New York condo

#276
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's comparable because usually you don't get these kinds of violent reactions when you disrupt a market

>you don't get these kinds of violent reactions when you disrupt a market Only in developed countries, in a lot of the world that's actually exactly what you get when you disrupt someone's market.

I worked at a small US defense contractor for a couple of years. I was not in that loop, but my impression from those that were was that this sort of thing was to be expected if you entered into competition against the wrong incumbent.

Re: Co-founder of Gokada found decapitated, dismembered inside New York condo

#277
post #249

It reminds me of the killing of Jamal Khashoggi ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamal_Khashoggi ), and then this appears in the article. Coincidence? > According to a 2016 blog profile, Mr. Saleh was born in Saudi Arabia, and moved with his family quite a bit before settling in Rochester, N.Y., and, later, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

With Khashoggi we had a clear motive for the killing, though. It's not at all clear who wanted Saleh dead, and in particular why Saudi should be involved at all. It's merely where he was born, not the target of his opinion writing (note also that per the article he's Bangladeshi ethinically, not Saudi).

The Saudi government is corrupt AF and doesn't need much in the way for justification for killing people?

Also the US leadership is so incompetent at the moment, seems like a good time for other countries to do whatever TF they want.

Re: Co-founder of Gokada found decapitated, dismembered inside New York condo

#278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a qualitative difference between wanting to live in a bunker, and having the front door key to my house be on the Internet for anyone with a blank and a bastard file to copy in half an hour. Not that penthouse problems will ever be my problems, granted. But let's not be too absurd here.

Almost every single family home on the planet can be broken into just by smashing a window. That's a far bigger vulnerability than the possibility of hacking someone's elevator. Most burglars are not very tech savvy but everyone knows how to swing a hammer.

I think there are a lot of people who wouldn’t break a window to steal from a house but who would steal from a house if they found the door key.

Re: Co-founder of Gokada found decapitated, dismembered inside New York condo

#279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not a defender of Saudi Arabia but besides him being born there how is it relevant? He does business in Africa and was educated in and lives in the US. Is there any indication he was a anti-Saudi activist? I don't see any so why should that be brought up at all?

I haven't found any indication that he said anything against the Saudi regime. I brought it up because he appears to have been executed according to a professional (if bungled) plan reminiscent of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi by the Saudi state. I think it merits contemplation any time anyone with Saudi connections is professionally murdered and dismembered.

Sure but Khashoggi was a very high profile Journalist and Activist and that happened on Turkish soil. An assassination like that in the US would be a dramatic change in their behavior and politically very hazardous.

Re: Co-founder of Gokada found decapitated, dismembered inside New York condo

#280

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's worth noting that there was a sudden & pretty draconian regulation passed early this year that gutted Gokada's primary business (ridesharing on motorbikes). He was very passionate in his disagreement with the government's decision. The company pivoted pretty neatly (in my opinion) to last-mile deliveries instead - the pandemic certainly helped drive demand - but currently there's morbid speculation that potentia…

Okay, to play devil's advocate for a moment. What is there to gain financially from killing him, if his previous business was gutted by regulatory changes? The killer was evidently belonging to a highly capable skillset, and I'm extrapolating that they very nearly got away with his body in tow, and nobody would've been the wiser. Could they not have kidnapped him and ransomed the company? If there's financial qualms…

First thing that comes to mind: What was the financial or other motivation behind Mohammed bin Salman killing Khashoggi?

It's a power move. Putin does it too.

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