Nima Momeni trial jurors end 1st day of deliberations without verdict
Jurors in San Francisco on Wednesday finished their first day of deliberations without a verdict in the trial of Nima Momeni, the man charged with murder in the 2023 fatal stabbing of Cash App founder Bob Lee.
The jury is scheduled to continue delibrations at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
Before the case was given to the jury shortly after 10 a.m., the judge gave some final instructions about the procedures they will follow when they come to a verdict or if they cannot come to an agreement.
Momeni has been charged with first-degree murder, which carries a sentence of 26-years-to-life in prison. Jurors are also considering second-degree murder and manslaughter in the case.
The judge said whatever verdict the jury comes to must be unanimous.
The state has accused Momeni of fatally stabbing tech executive Lee in a remote part of San Francisco's East Cut neighborhood on an early morning in April 2023.
Prosecutors have argued the deadly stabbing came after a heated discussion regarding his sister's relationship with Lee and their ongoing drug use. Momeni's attorneys have argued that Lee attacked Momeni in a drug-fueled rage and was accidentally stabbed as Momeni defended himself.
Lee's family and friends anxiously sat through the trial hoping the jury will come back with a quick guilty verdict. But it's unclear how long deliberations will take, or what the verdict will be, as jurors have asked dozens of their own questions throughout the trial.
On Wednesday, Lee's former wife Krista said that she believes prosecutors did their best to bring Bob's story to the courtroom.
"I've got nothing but the utmost respect for our jurors, they have a very tough decision ahead of them. And I'm ever so grateful for our legal team on this and most of all the judge. And even more so the San Francisco Police Department. Sorry guys, I'm getting a little teary-eyed on this one," she said, fighting back tears. "I think they've all done a phenomenal job and unfortunately for our family we will never stop fighting for Bob's legacy."
The start of deliberations came a day after attorneys for Momeni wrapped up their closing argument with a surprise video clip they claimed showed Lee doing cocaine with the same knife used to kill him hours later.
Momeni's defense attorneys made their final bid to prove their client's innocence to jurors, saying that Momeni had no motive to stab Lee and trying to provide a lasting image reinforcing their claim that he acted in self-defense.
In criminal cases, prosecutors get the final word. During their rebuttal, the prosecution told jurors the odds for so many coincidences to fall into place to make Momeni's story possible were like being struck by lightning 30 times.
They urged jurors to use common sense and return a guilty verdict. Their final words in court: "Do not let him get away with it."
