Murder trial of tech consultant in death of Cash App founder Bob Lee begins

Defense lawyers disagree, saying Lee, rich in drugs, attacked Momeni.

“Our theory is that Bob had the knife and that Nima acted in self-defense,” said attorney Saam Zangeneh.

He said his client is eager to tell his side of the story, but they have not yet decided whether Momeni will testify in his defense.

Momeni, who lives in nearby Emeryville, California, has been in custody since his arrest days after Lee died at a San Francisco hospital. Momeni’s mother has been a steadfast presence at court hearings, and he has a good relationship with his sister.

Prosecutors have said in court documents that a friend of Lee told homicide investigators that they had been drinking with Momeni’s sister the day before the stabbing. The friend said Momeni later questioned Lee about whether his sister was using drugs or otherwise engaging in inappropriate behavior, and Lee said she had not.

Surveillance video of Lee’s last night shows him entering the swanky Millennium Tower downtown, where Momeni’s sister lives with her husband, a prominent San Francisco plastic surgeon.

The video shows Lee and Momeni leaving the building together after 2 a.m. and driving away in Momeni’s car. Lee was found around 2:30 a.m. in San Francisco’s Rincon Hill neighborhood, where there are tech offices and apartments but little activity in the early morning hours.

The police found a knife with a 10 centimeter blade at the scene. Prosecutors said tests showed Momeni’s DNA on the gun’s handle and Lee’s DNA on the bloody knife. But the defense said police should have tested the handle for fingerprints, namely Lee’s.

Momeni, who has pleaded not guilty, faces 26 years to life in prison if convicted.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Alexandra Gordon told jurors the trial could last until mid-December.