SAN FRANCISCO (AP)– A San Francisco court docket on Tuesday situated a expertise skilled responsible of second-degree homicide within the stabbing fatality of Cash App creator Bob Lee, which lugs a sentence of 16 years to life, denying the accused’s insurance coverage declare that he had truly acted in self-defense.
Jurors took 7 days to provide their judgment versus Nima Momeni within the April 4, 2023, fatality of Lee, a cherished expertise magnate that was situated shocking on a abandoned midtown street, trickling a path of blood and calling for assist. Lee, 43, afterward handed away at a healthcare facility.
“We think justice was done here today,” the goal’s bro, Tim Oliver Lee, knowledgeable press reporters. “What matters today is that we had a guilty verdict and Nima Momeni is going away for a very long time.”
Prosecutors said Momeni planned the attack on Lee, driving him to a separated place below the Bay Bridge and stabbing him 3 occasions with a blade he extracted from his sibling’s cooking space. They declare Momeni was mad with Lee for presenting his younger sister to a dope supplier she states offered her GHB and numerous different drugs and afterwards sexually attacked her.
But Momeni testified on the stand that Lee was the one which struck him with a blade, angry after the tech advisor chided him about spending extra time together with his household as an alternative of looking for a strip membership that evening. Momeni, who research martial arts, claimed self-defense and stated he didn’t notice he had fatally wounded Lee or that Lee was even damage.
The scenario has truly attracted nationwide focus, partially suppliedLee’s status in the tech world At initially, his fatality enflamed debate over public safety in San Francisco as X proprietor Elon Musk required to the social media websites web site to publish that “violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately.”
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins stated the decision confirmed that the killing was a focused crime and never an instance of random lawlessness within the metropolis.
“We are a city committed to accountability, we are a city committed to public safety,” Jenkins instructed reporters after the listening to.
Momeni, 40, has truly remained in custodianship contemplating that his apprehension in April 2023, when he was billed with homicide within the very first degree. Jurors gotten the case, whichstarted Oct 14, onDec 4.
Two of his 5 attorneys have been in court docket Tuesday, with the others attending by way of Zoom from Florida.
“This is obviously very disappointing for us,” stated Tony Brass, including that the group would consider for an enchantment.
Jurors reached their resolution late Monday afternoon, however the court docket selected to announce the decision Tuesday morning. The courtroom was crowded with Lee’s household and mates and journalists who’ve been following the high-profile trial.
Family members of each males have faithfully attended the trial. Mahnaz Tayarani, mom of the defendant, has sat on one facet of the court docket room whereas Lee’s father, brother and ex-wife sat on the opposite, recoiling at Lee’s post-mortem pictures and 911 name.
On Tuesday, Tayarani had tears in her eyes as she known as the decision unfair.
“My son is not the person that they think,” she said. “He’s very kind, he’s very loving and respectful and caring.”
Lee had truly produced cell settlement answer Cash App and was the first merchandise police officer of the cryptocurrency MobileCoin when he handed away. He had truly transferred to Miami from the San Francisco Bay Area, the place his ex-wife Krista Lee copes with their 2 kids.
Both sides settled on the sequence of events that led to each guys taking over within the morning hours of April 4. But there isn’t a unbiased paperwork of what they said to each numerous different or that drew out the blade, and video clip of their final expertise is tough.
The prosecution said the video clip revealed Momeni stabbing Lee 3 occasions. They moreover said the homicide software– a nearly 8-inch paring blade with an about 4-inch blade– had Momeni’s DNA on its deal with and Lee’s DNA on the blade.
Jurors in the end declined a charge of homicide within the very first degree, which wanted district attorneys present that Momeni acted deliberately, on goal and with premeditation. Murder within the 2nd degree doesn’t want that element.
Jurors on Tuesday decreased to talk with journalism.
The mid-day previous to the stabbing, Lee and Khazar Momeni had truly been doing drugs and alcohol consumption on the house or apartment of a dope supplier Lee acknowledged. Lee left previous to Nima Momeni mosted more likely to seize his sibling, that knowledgeable him she had truly been attacked.
A pal of Lee’s indicated Momeni after that smoked Lee over the cellphone regarding what occurred to his sibling whereas on the pusher’s house or apartment. He despatched out textual content claiming that each guys have been creeps and sex-related killers.
Momeni afterward socialized with Lee at his sibling’s condominium up till she kicked them out, claiming she required to relaxation.
Surveillance video clip reveals each guys leaving Khazar Momeni’s posh condo round 2 a.m. and getting into Nima Momeni’s BMW. Other safety video after that reveals them leaving the car close to the Bay Bridge, the place the stabbing occurred.
Momeni testified he stop his car after reviewing a pocket that triggered Lee to splash the beer he was holding. Momeni said he after that cut up a joke recommending Lee want to speculate the final night of his flick thru with members of the family quite than searching for a strip membership to keep up the occasion going.
That’s when he states Lee broke, chewed out him regarding analyzing his parenting skills and took out the blade from his coat pocket, and struck.
“I was scared for my life,” Momeni said all through check, in testomony that was rambling and contentious.
He said Lee left the expertise, and revealed no proof of being injured. He actually didn’t perceive Lee had truly handed away up till the complying with day, he said.
“I feel awful to his family, to himself,” Momeni said on the stand. “He didn’t deserve it. I don’t think anyone deserved that.”
The prosecution buffooned Momeni’s story, pointing out that he by no means ever known as cops to report Lee’s affirmed assault and even after he found Lee had truly handed away of stab accidents on the street the place he had truly final seen him.
Prosecutors moreover revealed textual content Khazar Momeni despatched her bro, asking the place he had truly left Lee– an inquiry he prevented. She despatched out a text message to Lee him since her bro got here “down hard on you” and to thank him for “managing it with course.
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This story has truly been upgraded to clear up that Momeni was condemned of second-degree homicide, not murder.
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Associated Press press reporters Christopher Weber in Los Angeles and Haven Daley in San Francisco added to this report.
