SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A jury reached a verdict on Monday afternoon for Nima Momeni, the man accused of murdering Cash App founder Bob Lee. Jurors deliberated for seven days before they agreed on a unanimous decision. The verdict will be read inside a San Francisco courtroom at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday with Judge Alexandra Gordon presiding.
The verdict will remain secret until Tuesday morning when jurors, the judge, Momeni, Lee’s family, Momeni’s supporters, defense attorneys, prosecutors, and reporters are all gathered inside the courtroom.
The only family member present at the courthouse Monday afternoon was Momeni’s mother, who immediately began sending text messages on her cellphone. Her 40-year-old son is charged with first-degree murder. As jurors left the courthouse, they appeared solemn and relieved.
Lee, 43, was a superstar in the Bay Area tech industry when he was stabbed through the heart under the Bay Bridge on April 4, 2023. Around 2:30 a.m., Lee called 911 begging for help as he bled to death on Main Street. His death sent shockwaves through the city.
Prosecutors said the defendant is a cold-blooded killer who murdered the tech mogul to get revenge for Momeni’s younger sister. The sister, Khazar, testified that she was sexually assaulted by Lee’s drug dealer on the day before the homicide. Prosecutors said Momeni blamed the Lee for the assault.
Momeni testified that he acted in self-defense after Lee “blew up” with anger over a “bad joke,” and attacked him with a knife. Prosecutors said Lee was unarmed when he was slain.
During seven days of deliberations, the jury considered four possible verdicts: Guilty of first-degree murder, guilty of voluntary manslaughter, guilty of involuntary manslaughter, or not guilty. For Momeni to be convicted of first-degree murder, he must have had a mental state with “malice and forethought,” and killed Lee “willfully, deliberately, and with premeditation,” Judge Gordon said. If jurors believe Momeni’s self-defense claim, they could convicted him of manslaughter.
This breaking news story will be updated.