CashApp founder Bob Lee’s murderer Nima Momeni found guilty, faces 16 years in prison

A San Francisco jury has found tech consultant Nima Momeni guilty of second-degree murder relating to the stabbing of Bob Lee, CashApp founder. In a verdict passed on Tuesday, Momeni was found not guilty of first-degree murder. He currently faces 16 years in prison with sentencing set to come at a later date.

It took jurors seven days to deliver their verdict against Nima Momeni who was involved in the April 4, 2023, death of Lee, a beloved tech mogul who was found staggering on a deserted downtown street, dripping a trail of blood and calling for help. Lee, 43, later died at a hospital.

At the trial which began on Oct 14, prosecutors painted a dramatic picture of Lee’s two-day drug involvement with Khazar Momeni, the sister of his murderer, which was believed to have spurred his death. They argued that Lee’s friend and drug dealer had sexually assaulted Khazar during the process. They added that this led to a heated exchange where Momeni eventually stabbed Lee with a kitchen knife.

On the other end, the defence counsel produced a different story. He told the jury he was out on a walk with Lee under the Bay Bridge on the night of the stabbing, trying to convince Lee to spend more time at home with his family instead of out partying. 

The defence then asserted that Lee became frustrated and attacked Momeni with a knife during that conversation, leading Momeni to retaliate in self-defence and grab the weapon from Lee. Momeni told jurors he had no animosity toward Lee.

Meanwhile, video evidence produced at the trial showed that Momeni was the aggressor and guilty of the murder. Forensic testing of the knife – a nearly 8-inch paring knife with a roughly 4-inch blade – had Momeni’s DNA on its handle and Lee’s DNA on the blade.

Since Bob Lee’s death, the public has reacted indicating the murder as proof of the lack of public safety in San Francisco. Elon Musk, X owner, took to the social media site to post to protest that “violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately.”

Also, a San Francisco District Attorney, Brooke Jenkins expressed that the verdict showed that the killing was a targeted crime and not an example of random lawlessness in the city. “We are a city committed to accountability, we are a city committed to public safety,” Jenkins told reporters after the hearing. After Lee’s murder, many speculated that the tech executive’s death was random and related to San Francisco’s homelessness and crime problem. It turned out that Lee knew the killer.

Bob Lee, the chief product officer at the cryptocurrency company MobileCoin at his death also led technology development at Jack Dorsey’s Block, where he created the mobile payment service Cash App. He was also an investor in SpaceX, Clubhouse, Tile, and Figma. In his early 20s, he helped develop the Android operating system at Google.

During the tribute, Lee’s colleagues and peers praised his contributions to the technology world. Dylan Field, the CEO of Figma, noted that Lee first met with him when he was 14 and was an early supporter of Figma. Dorsey said Lee was instrumental in creating Square, which then became Block.

Reactions to Bob Lee’s death

The victim’s brother, Tim Oliver Lee while talking to reporters reacted to the verdict. “We’re happy that Nima Momeni will not be on the streets, he no longer has the opportunity to harm anybody else in this world. We think justice was done here today.”

Mahnaz Tayarani, the mother of the defendant, had tears in her eyes Tuesday as she called the verdict unfair. “My son is not the person that they think. He’s very kind, he’s very loving and respectful and caring,” she said.

Also, Bob Lee’s father after the murder said on Facebook: “I just lost my best friend, my son Lee when he lost his life on the street in San Francisco early Tuesday Morning.”

According to Bob Lee’s friends, he was a top guy who had no enemies and would do anything to avoid violence even to the detriment of losing something valuable. He recently moved his family to Miami, including his two young daughters. The news of his death has dealt a huge blow to the tech industry and society at large.

Friends and colleagues of the 43-year-old father and tech executive expressed their dismay at what occurred. “I actually lived right where he was killed, and I used to walk there all the time at night,” Jake Shields, an MMA fighter and Lee’s friend, said. “I gradually began to feel less and less safe. That’s probably why I relocated. I’m currently in Las Vegas.”

“I lived in San Francisco for 20 years,” he continued. “And I feel like you got run out of that city because they’re just, they’re not up-keeping it,” Shields said the two have been good friends for about five years, with plans to meet in Miami as soon as Thursday.

“We were supposed to be hanging out tomorrow night. So that’s a little strange,” he said. “It just happened, so my mind still processing. When you lose someone you’re like, damn, this is not expected. I know he had two daughters as well, whom he loved quite a bit. That adds quite an element of sadness to it.” Shields hopes that Lee is remembered for being a good guy in addition to his high-profile tech resume.

Bob Lee was a father, according to Abra’s CEO adding that “he was a generous decent human being who didn’t deserve to be killed.”

While expressing his opinion, Momeni said on the stand that he “felt awful to his family, to himself.” He added that Lee didn’t deserve it and he didn’t think anyone deserved that.

Also Read: Cash App Founder Bob Lee stabbed to death in San Francisco.