SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Tech consultant Nima Momeni will stand trial for murder in the stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee, a San Francisco judge ordered Tuesday.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles by Kevin Carmichael, Victoria Wells, Jake Edmiston, Gabriel Friedman and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world’s leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles by Kevin Carmichael, Victoria Wells, Jake Edmiston, Gabriel Friedman and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world’s leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
REGISTER TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account.
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
- Enjoy additional articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
Lee’s violent death shocked the tech community as fellow executives and engineers praised his generosity, curiosity and leadership skills. He was 43 and chief product officer of cryptocurrency platform MobileCoin when he died.
Saam Zangeneh, one of Momeni’s four defense lawyers, argued unsuccessfully in court Tuesday that there might be enough evidence for a manslaughter charge, but not murder. Zangeneh said they made the argument just for purposes of the preliminary hearing.
“We are not agreeing that our client is guilty of any crime,” he said in an email after the hearing.
Prosecutors have said that Momeni planned the April 4 attack that left a bloody Lee staggering on a deserted downtown San Francisco street seeking help. They say Momeni, 38, drove Lee to a secluded area, stabbed him three times with a knife and then drove off in a hurry after a dispute over the defendant’s sister.
Over two days, the prosecution presented technical video and forensic evidence showing that Lee was last seen getting into a car driven by Momeni and a bloodied knife was found near a spot where the two men got out of the car.
A crime lab criminalist with the San Francisco Police Department testified Tuesday that Lee’s DNA was found on the blade of the knife but not the handle, and Momeni’s DNA was found on the handle.
San Francisco police said they responded to reports of a stabbing in the city’s Rincon Hill neighborhood at 2:35 a.m. Lee was taken to a hospital, where he died.
Lawyers for Momeni have said that their client had no reason to kill Lee and the two men were cordial. They said Momeni’s anger was directed at another person and not at Lee.