Dec. 17 (UPI) — Information technology consultant Nima Momeni was found guilty of second-degree murder on Tuesday in the stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee.
The San Francisco jury deliberated for nearly two weeks before returning the verdict against Momeni, who authorities say was motivated to kill by a personal dispute he had with Lee, who was attacked early on April 4, 2023, near downtown San Francisco.
The jury reached the verdict on Monday, but it was not read until Tuesday. Prosecutors said Momeni, who acquaintances said was friends with Lee, drove the executive to a secluded area and stabbed him three times with a four-inch blade, including once in the heart.
Detectives said Lee called 911 at about 2:35 a.m. shortly after he was stabbed. Lee’s toxicology report found several drugs present in his system at the time of his death.
Initial reports led some, led by Tesla founder Elon Musk, to complain about repeat violent offenders in downtown San Francisco before prosecutors turned their attention to Momeni.
Momeni’s attorneys tried to poke holes into the DNA evidence and the handling of the evidence. They question the chain of custody around the murder weapon and the DNA. Experts said 99% of Momeni’s DNA was on the handle of the knife.
The judge rejected an attempt to get a mistrial.
