SAN FRANCISCO — The murder trial of a technology consultant in the stabbing of Cash App founder Bob Lee ends after the widely admired entrepreneur was found staggering on a deserted street in downtown San Francisco, begging for help. It begins on Monday, one and a half years after.
Lee’s death at age 43 shocked the technology community, with fellow executives and engineers writing to praise his generosity and genius. At the time of his death, Lee was the chief product officer of cryptocurrency platform MobileCoin. He was the father of two children.
Prosecutors allege Nima Momeni, 40, planned the April 4 attack after an argument over her sister, Hazard, who was friends with Lee. Momeni reportedly took a knife from his sister’s apartment, chased Lee to a secluded area, stabbed her three times, and fled.
Defense lawyers disagree, arguing that Lee was high on drugs when he attacked Momeni.
“Our theory is that Bob had a knife and Nima acted in self-defense,” said lawyer Saam Zangeneh.
He said his client wants to tell his side of the story, but it has not yet been decided whether Momeni will testify in his defense.
Momeni, who lives near Emeryville, California, has been in custody since his arrest days after Lee died in a San Francisco hospital. Momeni’s mother has been well present at court hearings, and Momeni is close to her sister.
Prosecutors said in court documents that Lee’s friend told homicide investigators that he had been drinking with Momeni’s sister the day before the stabbing. The friend said Momeni then questioned Lee about whether her sister was using drugs or acting inappropriately, to which Lee replied that she had not.
Surveillance video from Lee’s last night shows him entering the luxurious Millennium Tower downtown, where Momeni’s sister lives with her husband, a prominent San Francisco plastic surgeon.
The video then shows Lee and Momeni leaving the building together shortly after 2 a.m. and driving away in Momeni’s car. Lee was found around 2:30 a.m. in San Francisco’s Rincon Hill neighborhood. The area is home to high-tech offices and condominiums, but there was little activity during the early morning hours.
Police recovered a knife with a 4-inch (10 cm) blade at the scene. Prosecutors said tests showed Momeni’s DNA on the handle of the weapon and Lee’s DNA on the bloody blade. But the defense argued that police should have checked the steering wheel for Lee’s fingerprints.
Momeni maintains his innocence, but if convicted he could have 26 years to live.
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Alexandra Gordon told jurors the trial could last until mid-December.
