The computer entrepreneur who was suspected of killing Cash App creator Bob Lee in an incident that first caused fears about the city's safety has pleaded not guilty to the charge. Nima Momeni, 38, allegedly stabbed Mr. Lee, 43, in the early hours of 4 April in the Californian city, according to the prosecution.
They believe that Mr. Momeni drove to an isolated place in order to carry out the murder with premeditation, and they support their claim with footage from a closed-circuit television camera (CCTV). The judge has issued an order that Mr. Momeni be held in custody prior to the trial. His attorney, Paula Canny, argued against the strategy employed by the prosecution, stating that the CCTV film does not reveal a great deal of information.
The San Francisco Standard reported that CCTV footage showed Mr. Lee walking down a deserted alley on the night of the attack, presumably seeking assistance. The tech entrepreneur is seen stumbling towards a parked car and lifting his shirt to reveal a wound, but the car drives away before he collapses to the ground.
Mr. Lee was discovered by the police in the Rincon Hill neighborhood unconscious and suffering from two stab wounds to the chest. Later, he passed away at the hospital. The prosecution did not offer any speculation regarding a possible motive for the crime. However, they did state that there was DNA evidence that cast doubt on the self-defense claim made by the defense.
A witness reportedly told the police that Mr. Momeni questioned Mr. Lee about his sister the night before the stabbing, as stated in the records filed in the court. According to the authorities, he questioned Mr. Lee about whether or not his sibling was "doing drugs or anything inappropriate." "I had to reassure [Mr. Momeni] that nothing inappropriate had happened," Mr. Lee said.
Khazar Elyassnia, Mr. Momeni's sister, is married to a well-known plastic surgeon in the Bay Area, and both of them were present at the hearing that took place on Thursday. Mr. Lee arrived at Mrs. Elyassnia's apartment just a few minutes after twelve o'clock in the morning. Already present was Mr. Momeni, and surveillance footage reveals that he and Mr. Lee left the scene together in Mr. Momeni's BMW approximately a half an hour before the murder.
In 2004, Mr. Momeni was arrested for driving under the influence, and in 2011, he was charged with a misdemeanor for carrying a switchblade, but the case was dismissed when he accepted a plea bargain. This information was presented at the hearing.
Mr. Momeni's information technology consulting business was failing, and his friends and acquaintances described him as an introvert. According to the San Francisco Standard, Ms. Canny stated that Mr. Momeni was not a citizen of the United States and could risk deportation to Iran. Before the authorities stated that Mr. Lee knew the suspect, his killing added fuel to the fire of existing concerns and criticism regarding the city's increasing rate of crime.