Tech consultant to stand trial in stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee
A San Francisco judge has ordered tech consultant Nima Momeni to stand trial for murder in the stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Tech consultant Nima Momeni will stand trial for murder in the stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee, a San Francisco judge ordered Tuesday.
Lee's violent death shocked the tech community as fellow executives and engineers praised his generosity, curiosity and leadership skills. He was 43 and chief product officer of cryptocurrency platform MobileCoin when he died.
Saam Zangeneh, one of Momeni’s four defense lawyers, argued unsuccessfully in court Tuesday that there might be enough evidence for a manslaughter charge, but not murder. Zangeneh said they made the argument just for purposes of the preliminary hearing.
“We are not agreeing that our client is guilty of any crime,” he said in an email after the hearing.
Prosecutors have said that Momeni planned the April 4 attack that left a bloody Lee staggering on a deserted downtown San Francisco street seeking help. They say Momeni, 38, drove Lee to a secluded area, stabbed him three times with a knife and then drove off in a hurry after a dispute over the defendant's sister.
Over two days, the prosecution presented technical video and forensic evidence showing that Lee was last seen getting into a car driven by Momeni and a bloodied knife was found near a spot where the two men got out of the car.
A crime lab criminalist with the San Francisco Police Department testified Tuesday that Lee’s DNA was found on the blade of the knife but not the handle, and Momeni’s DNA was found on the handle.
San Francisco police said they responded to reports of a stabbing in the city’s Rincon Hill neighborhood at 2:35 a.m. Lee was taken to a hospital, where he died.
Lawyers for Momeni have said that their client had no reason to kill Lee and the two men were cordial. They said Momeni's anger was directed at another person and not at Lee.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.