A San Francisco jury convicted a tech consultant of second-degree murder, on Tuesday, in the stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee. This conviction carries a sentence of 16 years to life, dismissing the defendant’s assertion of self-defence.
The jury took seven days to reach their verdict against Nima Momeni, regarding the 4 April 2023 death of Lee, a prominent tech mogul. Lee was found on a deserted downtown street, bleeding and calling for help before succumbing to his injuries at a hospital.
Prosecutors argued that Momeni premeditated the attack, driving Lee to an isolated location beneath the Bay Bridge and stabbing him three times, including once in the heart, with a knife from his sister’s kitchen. They contended that Momeni was incensed with Lee for introducing his younger sister to a drug dealer who allegedly provided her with GHB and other drugs and then sexually assaulted her.
Conversely, Momeni testified that Lee attacked him with a knife after Momeni admonished him about spending more time with his family rather than seeking a strip club that night. Momeni, trained in martial arts, claimed he acted in self-defence and was unaware that he had fatally wounded Lee.
This case has garnered national attention, partly due to Lee’s prominence in the tech industry. Initially, Lee’s death sparked debates over public safety in San Francisco, with notable figures like X owner Elon Musk commenting on social media about the city’s violent crime rates.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins stated that the verdict indicated the killing was a targeted act rather than an example of random violence in the city.
Momeni has been in custody since his arrest in April 2023 when he was charged with first-degree murder.
Both men’s families attended the trial regularly, with Momeni’s mother and Lee’s father, brother, and ex-wife present. The trial began on 14 October, and the jury received the case on 4 December, deciding by Monday afternoon. The court announced the verdict on Tuesday morning, with a courtroom filled with Lee’s family, friends, and journalists.
Lee was the creator of the mobile payment service Cash App and the chief product officer of the cryptocurrency MobileCoin at the time of his death. He had recently relocated to Miami from the San Francisco Bay Area, where his ex-wife Krista Lee resides with their two children.
Although both parties agreed on the events leading up to the confrontation on the early morning of 4 April, there is no independent verification of their exchange or who initially brandished the knife. The video footage of their encounter is inconclusive.
The prosecution maintained that the video showed Momeni stabbing Lee three times. They also presented evidence that the murder weapon, an approximately 8-inch paring knife, bore Momeni’s DNA on its handle and Lee’s DNA on the blade.
Frances Ibiefo
Follow us on:
