Dominic Sarkar’s domestic partner and another found guilty of first-degree murder in a murder-for-hire plot in California
In the early morning of Oct 8, 2018, Dominic Sarkar, an Indian American executive chef working in Mountain View, California was found shot to death while sleeping in his bedroom inside his residence in Fremont.
Three and a half years later a jury has found his domestic partner Maria Moore and one Marvel Salvant guilty of first-degree murder with special circumstances in a murder-for-hire plot.
On Feb 7, the jury also found the allegation true that Salvant had personally and intentionally discharged a firearm, according to a press release from Alameda County District Attorney’s office. Both Moore and Salvant are expected to be sentenced on March 9.
Read: Indian American charged with mother’s murder in New York (May 11, 2021)
According to the prosecution case, Moore, who was the beneficiary to Sarkar’s life insurance policies conspired with Salvant to murder Sarkar in order to collect $800,000 in life insurance benefits on his life.
Shortly after the murder, Moore told Fremont Police in 2018 that she had an occasional sexual relationship with Sarkar.
In April 2016, Sarkar and Moore purchased a $500,000 life insurance policy insuring Sarkar’s life. She was listed as his domestic partner, and his two daughters were listed as contingent beneficiaries.
Months later in Sept 2016, a beneficiary change was submitted, removing Sarkar’s daughters from the policy, and naming Moore’s son as the contingent beneficiary.
In 2017, Sarkar purchased an additional $300,000 insurance policy insuring his life with his daughters listed as the sole beneficiaries. In January 2018, this policy was also changed removing Sarkar’s daughters and naming Moore as the sole beneficiary.
Evidence showed that Moore wired $500 to Salvant in September 2018, less than a month before the murder, according to the prosecution. Cell phone records showed text messages between Moore and Salvant leading up to and immediately after the murder.
Electronic evidence including cell phone location data records showed Salvant moving from his place of work down to Fremont in Sarkar’s neighborhood.
During this time, surveillance footage from neighborhood cameras near Sarkar’s residence showed Salvant’s vehicle casing the area before the murder and ultimately parking blocks away from the victim’s residence.
Read: Indian American chef murdered for insurance payout by woman friend, finds jury (February 10, 2022)
A male was then seen on the footage riding a bicycle towards the victim’s residence from where Defendant Salvant’s vehicle parked. Minutes after the murder, the same male was seen on the video footage returning to the vehicle.
Cell phone location data then showed Salvant leaving the area back to his residence in the Sacramento area, according to the prosecution.