Bob Lee Murder Suspect Argues Self-Defence As Trial Begins

The legal team of the alleged murderer of technology executive Bob Lee argued in court on Monday that he acted in self-defence as the trial began a year and a half after Lee’s death.

Lee, a 43-year-old father of two, held high-ranking positions at a number of prominent tech firms and helped develop Android and Block’s Cash App before joining MobileCoin.

Police last year arrested fellow tech entrepreneur Nima Momeni and charged him with premeditated murder, motivated by a dispute over Momeni’s sister, Khazar.

On Monday Momeni’s team argued Lee was the aggressor in the fatal stabbing that occurred after the two men left Khazar’s luxury apartment in San Francisco’s Millennium Tower.

‘Dark and secluded area’

Security footage released by the District Attorney’s office shows Lee and Momeni leaving the building shortly after 2 a.m., driving away in Momeni’s white BMW and eventually stopping in a “dark and secluded area” on Main Street.

Police later found Lee unconscious nearby with two stab wounds to his chest that punctured his heart and lung. He died in hospital soon afterward.

Momeni’s lawyers argued on Monday that Lee, high on drugs, attacked Momeni with a kitchen knife, and Momeni then turned the knife on Lee.

The defendant’s attorneys said they have not yet decided whether Momeni will testifyin his own defence.

Prosecutors say Momeni planned to murder Lee, arguing the footage showing Momeni driving Lee to the secluded area indicates premeditation.

According to court documents a witness told police Momeni questioned Lee about Khazar the night before the stabbing, asking whether his sister was “doing drugs or anything inappropriate”.

Lee “had to reassure [Momeni] nothing inappropriate happened”, prosecutors said.

Kitchen knife

A message from Momeni’s sister to Lee after their meeting at her apartment showed her checking in on Lee.

“Just wanted to make sure your doing ok Cause I know nima came wayyyyyy down hard on you And thank you for being such a classy man handling it with class,” she wrote, according to documents from the DA’s office.

A kitchen knife was found near the scene of the stabbing that was of the same brand as found in Momeni’s sister’s apartment, which had Momeni’s DNA on its handle, said Assistant DA Talai.

Lee was the former chief technology officer of Square, now Block, in which role he helped launch Cash App, then known as Square Cash.

Momeni has also worked in the tech industry and the two knew one another, police have said.