Tech consultant on trial for killing Cash App founder Bob Lee tells jury he was defending himself after they clashed over a 'bad joke'
A tech consultant charged with stabbing to death the founder of Cash App Bob Lee has told the jury he was defending himself after he made a 'bad joke' and Lee suddenly attacked him.
Nims Momeni told the court that his altercation with Lee began after he joked that the software engineer might want to spend his final night in San Francisco with family rather than trying to find a strip club.
It was at this point Momeni claimed that Lee pulled out a knife and attacked him, forcing the 40-year-old to defend himself.
Lee was later found fatally stabbed in downtown San Francisco on April 9 2023. He was later rushed to hospital where he died.
Momeni has pleaded not guilty and he faces 26 years to life in prison if convicted.
Bob Lee was later found fatally stabbed in downtown San Francisco on April 9 2023. He was later rushed to hospital where he died
Nims Momeni (pictured) told the court that the altercation began after he joked with Lee that he might want to spend his final night in San Francisco with family rather than trying to find a strip club
The Rincon Hill neighborhood along Main Street near where Lee was fatally stabbed in San Francisco
He said Lee later walked away, showing no signs he was injured. Momeni then says he called an attorney when he learned of Lee's death the following day.
Grainy footage from the night shows the two men exiting a car in a isolated spot by the Bay Bridge.
Prosecutors say that is where Momeni stabbed Lee, while the defense says that is where Lee attacked Momeni.
The defense claim Lee was being erratic and aggressive, having slept only six hours over a four-day period of a cocaine and ketamine-fueled drinking spree.
When Momeni took to the witness stand on Wednesday, he recalled the events of what happened in April 2023.
He said the two men were on friendly terms when his sister, Khazer Momeni, kicked them both out of her condo at 2 am because she wanted to sleep following hours of partying.
Momeni said the two men were on friendly terms when his sister, Khazer Momeni (pictured), kicked them both out of her condo at 2 am because she wanted to sleep following hours of partying
CCTV captures Lee on his knee outside an apartment building in downtown San Francisco after he was fatally stabbed
Momeni said they got into his BMW and he started driving while Lee checked his phone for places to go next.
He pulled the car over after they went over a pothole, causing Lee to spill his beer. Lee got out of the car and Momeni followed, thinking Lee was about to puke.
That was when he said he made the 'bad joke' about seeing family.
'He just went from zero to 100,' Momeni said. 'You could see the anger.'
Omid Talai, assistant district attorney, questioned Momeni over the story during his cross-examination.
'He wanted to kill you over a bad joke?' asked Talai.
'I'm not sure why he pulled it out,' Momeni said. 'I was in fear for my life.'
Momeni pushed back yesterday afternoon as Talai questioned him about text messages and testimony from others. The cross-examination continues Thursday.
From left to right: Lee's father Rick, his brother Oliver and ex wife Krista
Floral tributes left close to where Lee was fatally stabbed. Lee's death stunned the tech community as fellow executives and engineers penned tributes to the charismatic entrepreneur's generosity and brilliance
Surveillance video of Lee's final night shows him entering the posh Millennium Tower downtown, where Momenis sister lives with her husband, a prominent San Francisco plastic surgeon.
Video also shows Lee and Momeni leaving the building after 2 a.m. and driving off together in Momeni's car.
Police recovered a knife with a 4-inch (10-centimeter) blade in the secluded area where Lee was stabbed. Prosecutors said tests showed Momeni´s DNA on the weapon´s handle and Lee´s DNA on the bloody blade, but the defense presented an expert witness who said the police should have tested the handle for fingerprints, namely Lee's.
Lee's death stunned the tech community as fellow executives and engineers penned tributes to the charismatic entrepreneur's generosity and brilliance. Lee was chief product officer of cryptocurrency platform MobileCoin when he died. He was a father to two children.
