A San Francisco jury this morning convicted Nima Momeni of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of tech executive and Cash App founder Bob Lee, bringing to a close San Francisco’s most-watched trial in recent years.
The six men and six women of the jury reached the verdict in seven days, after a seven-week trial that began on Oct. 14.
Momeni, who was charged with first-degree murder in April 2023, was found guilty of a lesser charge. The second-degree murder conviction, announced moments ago in front of a packed courtroom, means Momeni, 40, willfully killed Lee, but without premeditation.
He faces a sentence of up to life in prison. The entire courtroom stood as the jurors exited this morning — except Momeni, who remained seated.
Lee’s brother Oliver told the press afterwards that the family was pleased with the verdict.
“We are happy that Nima Momeni will not be on the streets,” said Oliver Lee, “and no longer has the opportunity to harm anyone else in this world. The verdict of murder-2 will put him away for a long time.”
Tony Brass, one of Momeni’s platoon of defense attorneys, said, “this is a very painful day, and this is not the end of this journey.”
Brass expressed surprise and disappointment that Momeni wasn’t convicted of a lesser charge, but said the defense team will continue to revisit the proceedings to ensure Momeni received a fair trial, implying an imminent appeal of the verdict. Mahnaz Tayarani Babai, Momeni’s mother, wiped tears from her eyes with a tissue as Brass addressed the media.
It was clear from the verdict that jurors were unconvinced that Momeni, who claimed self-defense, was justified in stabbing Lee. But the prosecution failed to persuade the jury that Momeni committed premeditated murder. The identities of the jurors were sealed by court order today, and none of the 12 jurors wished to speak with the media.
“We’re feeling relieved,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who said her office will push for a full sentence of 16 years to life.
Lee was a well-known figure in the tech industry who worked as an executive at Square and MobileCoin, and his death on the streets of San Francisco initially fomented a misleading narrative of mayhem and rampant violent crime in the city — one amplified across the country by Elon Musk and other commentators. When Momeni, an Emeryville IT consultant, was arrested nine days after the stabbing, however, it became clear the two men had known each other and had a personal dispute.
Today, Jenkins again referenced Musk’s comments on the incident as doing a disservice to San Francisco, and said she is happy with the outcome of the case, even though the jury acquitted Momeni of the maximum charge.
It was a trial with its own drama, with a cast of characters whose interpersonal disputes ranged from sibling squabbles to alleged sexual assault. Defense attorneys finished their case with a dramatic flourish, showing the jurors video of Lee holding a metallic instrument they said was a knife to his nose to snort a substance.
“That’s the knife!” exclaimed attorney Saam Zangeneh, dressed flamboyantly in a navy-blue pinstripe suit, the bright blue flowers on his tie popping out. He said Lee carried that knife hours before the stabbing in April 2023, and later attacked Momeni with it, forcing Momeni to defend himself. The two men had just met a few days prior.
The high-profile case and trial captivated viewers as it provided a glimpse into a wealthy, drug-fueled San Francisco social scene in which several of the involved characters appeared to have spent much of the days leading up to the fatal stabbing party-hopping and consuming large quantities of cocaine and other substances.
Momeni’s defense claim evidently did not convince jurors. Witnesses called to testify during the trial said they never saw Lee become violent or angry, and did not know him to carry weapons.
Friends, acquaintances, and colleagues of Momeni, however, told Mission Local that they knew him to become erratic at times. He was also known to have a penchant for knives and firearms; his criminal record shows multiple arrests in which he carried knives, including one in which he allegedly stabbed two people in self-defense.
The incident
In the early morning hours of April 4, 2023, Lee was found bleeding out and unconscious on Main Street, suffering three stab wounds: Two to his chest and one to his hip. Prosecutors who charged Momeni with murder said he lured Lee to a dark, secluded area with a plan to kill him with a kitchen knife. The stabbing, they alleged, was a response to the alleged sexual assault of Momeni’s sister, Khazar, at the hands of a man Lee introduced her to.
The Joseph Joseph knife that killed Lee, found near the scene with Lee’s DNA on the blade and Momeni’s DNA on the handle, was of the same brand as those later discovered by investigators in Khazar Momeni’s kitchen, where the two men had just been.
Around 2 a.m., Lee and Momeni left Millennium Tower, where Momeni’s sister lives. They entered Momeni’s white BMW and drove to a quiet area of Main Street under the Bay Bridge.
They exited the car and, after some time, blurry Nest camera footage shows Momeni lunge toward Lee. Lee then began walking up Main Street, and Momeni, after also momentarily pausing to purportedly throw the knife over a nearby fence, left the scene by car.
Momeni testified that Lee attacked him first with the knife over a “bad joke,” and that he acted to defend himself. Momeni said he made an off-color comment about how Lee, a father of two, should spend time with his family instead of “fucking around” at strip clubs. Momeni testified that Lee pulled a knife on him, and Momeni first grabbed Lee’s wrist and pinned it to his hip. Then, when Lee swung at him, he said he pushed Lee’s hand and the knife into Lee’s chest.
After the incident, Momeni drove away to his Emeryville home. He testified last month that he was unaware Lee was injured until the next day, when he read the news and decided to hire an attorney. Lee, who sought help on the darkened street but found none, was found unresponsive.
Momeni will return on Jan. 10 for a sentencing discussion. He waived his right to speedy sentencing. In addition to whatever time he may serve, he faces an additional year due to his use of a knife.
“This man deserves life in prison,” Lee’s ex-wife, Krista, said after the verdict today.
So it appears the long deliberations were due to a tough choice between first and second degree murder. This verdict seems just to me. The decision to argue self-defense was weak, and it would appear that this also does not leave any good avenues for appeal. And it’s also going to weigh toward a long sentence. The defendant would have been better off going with the public defender for representation.
I’m curious how you think a PD (or any other defense lawyer) would have gotten a better outcome in this case. If not self-defense, what other story had a good shot at producing a reasonable doubt?
The prosecutor’s evidence in this case was overwhelming – basically had the crime on video with clear DNA evidence on the knife, and lots of attempts to cover it up. A “not guilty” verdict was going to be almost impossible. A plea would have been the best outcome. If the defendant refused, any PD I know would have (properly) focused on putting the government to its burden and then ultimately working toward the lightest sentence. Point out all the flaws and alternative explanations (e.g. the DNA expert was not very good, the victim did an awful lot of drugs) and argue the prosecutor has not met his burden. Unlikely to result in a not guilty verdict with such strong evidence for the state but that’s the clearest shot. And the judge will take the slight doubt that has been raised in sentencing, which to a good lawyer should be the ultimate objective here.
Putting the guy on the stand with frivolous self-defense testimony that was easily disproven is going to be counter-productive. There is a reason criminal defendants almost never testify. 0.1% chance of a not guilty verdict, but otherwise the sentence will be harsh. The jury has now found beyond a reasonable doubt that the guy’s story was a fabrication. I don’t know the judge, and maybe she’s a softy (doubtful as she comes from the AG). My bet is she’ll take the fact that the jury reached a verdict of homicide and found that the guy made up a story in her courtroom, and throw the book at the guy. Judges do not like games. This is real life, not Better Call Saul.
Interesting, thanks!
Also, I think you must have misunderstood something about sentencing (judges and lawyers often talk in legal jargon). One cannot waive a right to sentencing after a guilty verdict. It sounds like Momeni may have waived the time limits for the sentencing hearing, which generally has to take place within 20 days after the guilty verdict. There will be a hearing and a sentence imposed.
It’s nice to know there was a reason for it, because once he said, “oh, I didn’t know I had stabbed him,” his self-defense argument lost all credibility and guilt was assured. I was very curious about the length of the deliberations.
It’s been a safe bet that the jury was deliberating degree.
I’ve derided the defense counsel myself, but they did a fine job. They provided Momeni some peace of mind and hope, and there’s a lot to be said for that. Besides, he wasn’t eligible for a public defender.
“The decision to argue self-defense was weak” – as opposed to? Insanity? Please.
I think the late-armchair QB’ing from a self-professed “atty” is a little rich, considering. Most every attorney I know personally wouldn’t presume to pretend to know what a jury was thinking and would be a lot more circumspect in their pronouncements of fact, and probability. The fact is he was acquitted of the most serious charge that would have all but denoted life in prison. There was never really a viable avenue towards a total acquittal considering he admitted his involvement in the incident in the first place. He got his money’s worth absolutely in at least having a shot at a lesser charge, and was successful. Your deeply personal understanding of this case non-withstanding, of course.
Sounds like the right call to me. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt for a murder-1 conviction wasn’t there.
The good news for Momeni is he’ll soon be able to see the sun, stretch his legs, and breathe fresh air. I wish him good luck.
What are you talking about? San Francisco absolutely has a violence problem—though perhaps our definitions of “violence” differ. The city has become increasingly unsafe for families, and it’s not just about physical altercations or crime statistics. It’s the daily reality of rampant drug use in broad daylight, open-air drug markets that are ignored, homeless encampments that spill into neighborhoods, and the ever-growing wave of property crime like car break-ins and home burglaries.
It’s not about anecdotal stories; it’s about a city where parents feel uneasy taking their kids to a park because of discarded needles on the ground or being approached aggressively by someone in the throes of addiction. It’s about businesses shuttering because customers don’t feel safe walking to and from their cars. It’s about a place where law-abiding residents constantly feel like they’re footing the bill for policies prioritizing excuses over consequences.
Violence doesn’t always come in the form of physical assault—it’s also the slow erosion of public safety, stability, and quality of life. And that’s what’s happening in San Francisco.
These comments are beyond parody. “San Francisco absolutely has a violence problem” and then goes on to list “drug use… drug markets… homeless encampments… car break-ins and home burglaries”: literally none of which are violent. And that, as a comment on a story about actual violence, between two tech executives.