Nima Momeni takes the stand in Bob Lee murder trial
Nima Momeni, the man accused in the fatal stabbing of tech executive and Cash App founder Bob Lee, testified for the first time in his defense at his murder trial Wednesday morning.
Momeni was arrested several days after Lee was fatally stabbed in April 2023 in San Francisco's Rincon Hill/East Cut neighborhood. Prosecutors allege that Momeni stabbed Lee with a kitchen knife taken from his sister Khazar Momeni's apartment. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder and his defense attorneys claim Momeni was defending himself from a drug-addled Lee.
On Wednesday under questioning from defense attorney Saam Zangeneh, Nima Momeni described his upbringing in Tehran, Iran. The 40-year-old tearfully recounted how he, his sister, and his mother left Iran when he was 15 years old to escape abuse at the hands of his father. Momeni also described learning martial arts after moving to the Bay Area and dropping out of college to work an assortment of jobs.
His defense attorney then directed his testimony to describe his relationship with his sister Khazar who he said is separated in age by one year. Momeni testified Khazar's drug use has gotten worse over the years and has affected their relationship.
"Since COVID it's gotten worse," said Momeni. "The amount and intensity of binges and emotions and reactions ... all of these things have intensified much more ... just go on for days."
Prosecutors have highlighted text exchanges with her brother in the hours following Lee's murder, calling him "psychotic" and "lunatic." Early testimony in the trial focused on Khazar Momeni's relationship with Lee and their alleged drug use. Khazar Momeni is married to prominent San Francisco plastic surgeon Dino Elyassnia, and during Nima Momeni's testimony Wednesday, he said his sister and her husband have "an open marriage."
"They have their rules, they respect each other ... it works for them and they're happy with it," he testified. "They're grown people, they can do whatever they want."
Nima Momeni also described the events leading up to Lee's murder, including getting a phone call from emotional-sounding Khazar Momeni asking to be picked up after "having a bad trip."
Momeni also described his interactions with Lee the night before the stabbing, describing Lee as "chatty" and said they had no conflict. Momeni also said he was upset after learning of an alleged sexual assault of his sister by one of Lee's acquaintances while she was incapacitated because of drugs, and claimed he was not upset with Lee.
On Tuesday, defense attorneys called a medical expert to the witness stand Tuesday who testified that it is possible that their theory of self-defense could be true.
Florida-based physician and pathologist Dr. John Marraccini told jurors that based on Lee's wound pattern, the wounds could have been self-inflicted as Momeni defended himself from an attack. Marraccini testified that at least one wound could have been sustained when Lee pulled out a knife from his pocket and was quickly stopped by Momeni - and in doing so, penetrating Lee's skin.
However, the doctor's credibility was brought into question when Marraccini acknowledged that he splits his time as a family practitioner and a private consultant where he testifies "99%" for the defense and "1%" for prosecutors.
During cross-examination on Wednesday, Marraccini admitted that the prosecution's theory is possible, that Lee sustained his fatal wounds from a direct attack by Momeni.
