Queens Man Arrested for Alleged Murder of Younger Wife

A 75-year-old man from Queens was taken into custody on Wednesday, suspected of murdering his significantly younger wife. Her dismembered remains had been discovered in various locations across the borough months apart, according to police and sources.

Police stated that Rupchand Simbu, aged 75, was apprehended around 10:25 a.m. at his South Ozone Park home, where he lived with 34-year-old Salisha Ali, who hailed from Trinidad and Tobago.

According to law enforcement officials, Simbu and Ali began their relationship in 2023, maintaining a long-distance connection while she resided in Trinidad. Eventually, she moved to Queens in 2024, and the couple got married.

The investigation was triggered when a torso, later confirmed to be Ali’s, was found by sanitation workers in a garbage bag near Idlewood Park, a wetland region close to JFK Airport, on September 22, 2025.

Police reported that the decomposed torso was wrapped in tape and rope, and notably, it was missing its head, arms, and legs.

Previously, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenney mentioned that the torso bore “several unique and identifiable tattoos,” aiding in the identification process.

In an intriguing turn of events, on March 5, detectives discovered a human head at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, roughly 10 miles away from the initial scene, providing a link in the investigation.

The details surrounding the murder, including the time and place of the incident, are still under investigation as of Wednesday.

Officials noted that Ali was last seen on July 13 while video chatting with her family. Interestingly, Simbu reported her missing on the same day.

Additionally, Simbu faced a previous arrest since October related to a misdemeanor assault during a confrontation on Liberty Avenue. In this latest case, he has been charged with obstruction of government administration and tampering with physical evidence, and he was awaiting arraignment late Wednesday afternoon.