(soothing music)
- [Narrator] In a case that has shaken Silicon Valley,
Nima Momeni pleaded not guilty to murder
in the April 4th stabbing of cash app founder Bob Lee.
- The reason the story is really interesting
is because it shows this whole other side of San Francisco
that a lot of people are not paying attention to.
- [Narrator] Initially thought by many
to be a random attack on the tech executive,
here's a look at how Bob Lee knew his alleged attacker
Nima Momeni and what prosecutors say happened
the night Bob was killed
(bright music)
- Bob Lee was a brilliant computer programmer.
He is not a name that a lot of people would recognize,
but he was really influential in a lot
of tech companies out here in San Francisco.
There's a lot less known about Nima Momeni and his family.
He immigrated along with his sister Khazar Momeni
and ended up in the Bay Area.
Khazar was in the same circles as Bob Lee
in this kind of lifestyle circle,
where there's quite a lot of partying,
recreational drug use, different sexual partners
things like that.
- [Narrator] Bob's wife, Krista Lee,
whom he was close with, even though they were separated,
disputed that he was a party boy
and said Bob was more mature than that.
- Nima and Khazar were very close,
and Nima was kind of overprotective of his sister
a lot of the friends have told us,
he was often out with her when she was at the party scene.
- [Narrator] On April 13th, authorities arrested Nima.
- I am here today to formally announce
the charges against Mr. Nima Momeni
for the murder of Bob Lee.
- [Narrator] In court documents
prosecutors paint a detailed picture
of what they allege happened
in the hours leading up to Bob's death.
Prosecutors say that Bob and Khazar met
up at a house party on April 3rd,
Nima was also there.
- What happens next is kind of
a confusing timeline of events.
The important thing to note is that at some point
Nima Momeni, Khazar's brother confronts Bob Lee
and says did anything inappropriate happen at that party?
Were there drugs?
Did anything else happen?
And Bob assures him that, no
nothing inappropriate happened,
everything is fine.
- Later Bob ended up at Khazar's apartment,
again Nima was there.
Prosecutors say surveillance footage shows Bob
and Nima leaving the apartment together in a white BMW.
- Basically they're alleging that Nima drives the car
to a secluded spot nearby
and stabs Bob to death with a kitchen knife.
- [Narrator] Prosecutors claim Bob was left on the street.
He called 911, but it was too late
and he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
According to Bob's autopsy report
he was stabbed three times, one blow piercing his heart.
The report also revealed that Bob had several drugs
in his system, including cocaine and Ketamine.
Nima Momeni entered a plea of not guilty
on May 18th and is being detained ahead of trial.
- My defense is it's a combination
of an accident and self-defense, absolutely.
- [Reporter] It was an accident with three stab wounds?
- Well, you know, I'm gonna say my defense is
it is an accident
with a cross between self-defense an accident.
There was no premeditation, deliberation, absolutely not.
- There's no question in our minds
that we have charged the correct person
who killed Mr. Lee
- [Narrator] In a written statement.
Lawyers for Khazar said "There are many rumors circulating
around this case, many of them untrue.
Ms. Momeni loves and supports her brother.
What happened here is a tragedy."
- The fact that Bob may have been sleeping according
to his friends with Khazar,
the fact that Nima was very protective of Khazar.
These things probably matter in this situation,
but a lot more details about this case
are going to unfold in the coming weeks.
(bright music)