SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The expertise advisor has uploaded Money app founder Bob Lee His stabbing demise testified in his personal protection on Wednesday that he pulled a “dangerous joke” to attempt to finish a late night time of ingesting and medicines, and the superstar entrepreneur out of the blue attacked him.
In his first public statements in regards to the occasions main as much as Lee's demise, Nima Momeni stated he joked to Lee that he would possibly need to spend his final night time in San Francisco along with his household somewhat than looking for a strip membership .
Momeni stated Lee pulled out a knife and attacked him, forcing him to defend himself. He stated Lee later left with out displaying indicators of harm. Momeni stated she known as a lawyer when she discovered of Lee's demise the following day.
“He's a well-known large man,” he stated. “I'm simply an atypical man, an immigrant.”
Lee, 43, was discovered staggering on a abandoned road in downtown San Francisco, dripping blood and calling for assist. He later died on the hospital.
Prosecutors say Momeni, 40, deliberate the assault on April Four, 2023 after a dispute over his youthful sister, Khazar Momeni, with whom Lee was associates. Momeni is alleged to have taken a knife from a singular set in his sister's house, led Lee to a secluded space and stabbed him thrice earlier than working away.
The protection says Lee was erratic and aggressive after sleeping simply six hours over a four-day interval. cocaine and ketamine and drink.
Momeni pleaded not responsible. He faces 26 years to life in jail if convicted.
However Momeni, who took the witness stand on Wednesday, stated the 2 males have been on pleasant phrases when his sister kicked them out of her flat at 2am, saying she needed to sleep after hours of partying and taking medicine.
Momeni stated they acquired into his BMW and he began driving whereas Lee checked his cellphone for locations to go. He stopped the automotive after they went over a pothole, inflicting Lee to spill his beer. Lee acquired out of the automotive and Momeni adopted, considering Lee was about to throw up.
That's when he stated he made the “dangerous joke” about seeing the household.
“It simply went from zero to 100,” Momeni stated. “You would see the anger.”
Omid Talai, the assistant district lawyer, scoffed on the story throughout cross-examination Wednesday.
“Did he need to kill you for a nasty joke?” Talai stated in disbelief.
“I'm unsure why he took it out,” Momeni stated. “I used to be afraid for my life.”
Momeni demurred Wednesday afternoon as Talai questioned him in regards to the textual content messages and the testimony of others. The questioning continues on Thursday.
Surveillance video of Lee's final night time reveals him getting into the elegant Millennium Tower downtown, the place Momeni's sister lives along with her husband, a distinguished San Francisco plastic surgeon.
The video additionally reveals Lee and Momeni leaving the constructing after 2 a.m. and driving off collectively in Momeni's automotive. The grainy video additionally reveals the 2 males getting out of the automotive in an remoted spot close to the Bay Bridge.
Prosecutors say that's the place Momeni stabbed Lee, whereas the protection says that's the place Lee attacked Momeni.
Police recovered a knife with a Four-inch (10-centimeter) blade within the secluded space the place Lee was stabbed. Prosecutors stated assessments confirmed Momeni's DNA on the gun deal with and Lee's DNA on the bloody blade, however the protection offered an skilled witness who stated police ought to have examined the deal with for fingerprints, specifically Lee's.
Lee's demise surprised them the expertise group as fellow executives and engineers wrote a tribute to the charismatic entrepreneur's generosity and brilliance. Lee was chief product officer of cryptocurrency platform MobileCoin when he died. He was the daddy of two kids.