Bob Lee's ex-wife rips Khazar Momeni's testimony in murder trial; "No right to make herself a victim"
The ex-wife of Bob Lee ripped Khazar Momeni on the fourth day of her testimony Wednesday in the murder trial of her brother, Nima Momeni, accused of killing the tech executive and Cash App founder in San Francisco in April.
After her cross-examination by defense attorneys Tuesday, prosecutors on redirect Wednesday highlighted Khazar Momeni's previous testimony saying she had received intimidating messages from Lee's family in the days following the murder.
Harsh words
Prosecutors displayed a screenshot of a text exchange between Lee's ex-wife Krista Lee and a friend in which she asked the friend if he "wanted to play detective" by searching for Khazar Momeni - who she referred to using a slur.
The text message from Krista Lee also claimed San Francisco police were "having a hard time locating" her.
Khazar Momeni said Wednesday she was forwarded a screenshot of the exchange by one of her friends who had also been forwarded the screenshot, and said she felt the exchange was threatening to her.
Krista and Bob Lee were married until 2019 and have two children. During a pre-trial hearing earlier this month, Nima Momeni's lawyers had sought to bar Krista Lee from courtroom proceedings, citing potential witness tampering.
A court filing by the defense argued Krista Lee had been "'playing detective' on many occasions and has no intention of stopping."
Dramatic courtroom exit
As on other trial days, Krista Lee was again in court Wednesday and as she walked out of the courtroom she denounced Khazar Momeni for her three days of testimony about Lee, their relationship, and his death.
"My husband was murdered. She has no right to take our - she has no right to make herself a victim in this when our family was the one that got murdered," said Krista Lee. "She can go f*** herself."
That comment prompted the judge to bar Krista Lee from the rest of Khazar Momeni's testimony and halt proceedings to question each juror about whether they heard the remark in the hallway over concerns it could influence their judgment.
"If they were to overhear something, as I think the judge was concerned may have happened today -- a witness or an interested party saying something -- that could permanently taint the jury," said criminal defense attorney Shannan Dugan. "Otherwise, there could be a conviction, it could be appealed and get overturned, there could be a mistrial."
Bob Lee was stabbed to death in the early morning of April 4, 2023 in San Francisco's upscale Rincon Hill/East Cut neighborhood. Prosecutors allege Nima Momeni killed Lee with a kitchen knife after a confrontation regarding Khazar Momeni's relationship with Lee and their alleged drug use. Nima Momeni has pleaded not guilty and his defense team claims he killed Lee in self-defense after a drug-addled Lee came after him.
The shocking murder of the well-known tech entrepreneur in San Francisco was initially seized upon by critics as another high-profile example of street violence plaguing the city. In the days that followed, the narrative turned to the drug-fueled underground party scene frequented by members of the Silicon Valley elite, which reportedly included Bob Lee and Khazar Momeni, who is married to a prominent San Francisco plastic surgeon.
Differences in testimony
Earlier Wednesday in the prosecution's redirect, Assistant San Francisco District Attorney Dane Reinstedt pointed out the differences in Khazar Momeni's responses about text exchanges between her and her brother, depending on which attorneys were asking the questions.
Reinstedt asked Momeni again about texts she sent to her brother Nima in the hours following Bob Lee's murder, calling him "psychotic" and "lunatic." When he asked about the texts last week, Khazar Momeni said she did not recall those texts and that she didn't remember much from that day because of her drug use and distress over Lee's death.
On Tuesday during cross-examination by the defense, Khazar Momeni testified that those texts were not about Lee, but instead about his acquaintance Jeremy Boivin, who she alleged in testimony provided her the drugs GSB and LSD and claimed he sexually assaulted her while she was incapacitated. Boivin's attorney disputes her account.
Dane Reinstedt: "Now when lawyers that you're paying asked about same messages ... those messages were not about Bob, not about how your brother was reacting to you potentially being raped, instead they were about Mr. Boivin being at your apartment the following day?"
Khazar Momeni: "Yes."
DR: "That's a very different answer."
KM: "I'm not trying to lie. I'm telling the truth. My brother was very upset with me."
Legal cost questions
After Khazar Momeni ended her testimony Wednesday, the prosecution then called a former employee of BMW San Francisco who testified that the Momeni family had attempted to sell Nima Momeni's white BMW sedan on May 6, 2023, about three weeks after his arrest.
The witness said he did not have the car cleaned or modified and was flagged by law enforcement that the vehicle was part of an investigation.
In cross-examination by the defense, the witness said he was familiar with Momeni who he said had frequented the dealership several times for servicing of his vehicle.
The defense suggested that the Momeni family was attempting to sell the vehicle to cover the cost of Nima's legal expenses.
The vehicle was impounded and towed by SFPD officers who testified that the car was "parked front and center in the middle of the parking lot."
The trial was set to resume Thursday morning, but the strike by San Francisco Superior Court clerks led officials to cancel the planned half day. With the trial already having scheduled "dark days" on Monday and Tuesday of next week, things will resume on Wednesday, Oct. 30.