Rob AriasFormer Emeryville resident Nima Momeni has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of 43-year-old Tech Mogul Bob Lee a jury concluded today. The six-week trial was followed by seven days of jury deliberation ending in the guilty verdict.
Momeni’s defense team was able to prove that the killing was not premeditated which would have resulted in first degree murder conviction. The primary difference between first and second degree being if the killing was premeditated or “in the the heat of the moment.”
The trial was probably the most gripping within the Bay Area in over a decade. It drew significant attention from the media, shedding light on the high-risk behaviors prevalent within certain tech industry circles.
Lee was fatally stabbed in San Francisco on the early morning of April 4, 2023 setting off over a week of speculation that the crime was a result of SF’s permissiveness toward street crime. Instead, a fellow tech professional was the primary suspect.
Momeni’s Besler Building unit was raided by authorities back on April 13, 2023 placing him under arrest for Lee’s murder.
Momeni lived in at least two different places within Emeryville over the past decade including the aforementioned Besler building and the Christie Avenue Commons (The unit he was renting at Besler was sold in late 2023).
Several neighbors described unpleasant interactions with Momeni including his smoking in common areas, not paying rent and being ‘a tough guy super into weapons.’
The altercation between Momeni and Lee it was revealed stemmed from Momeni’s belief that Lee had introduced his sister, Khazar, to a drug dealer who provided her with GHB (commonly known as a ‘date-rape drug’). This accusation led to a confrontation during which Momeni drove Lee to a secluded area in SF’s Rincon Hill area and stabbed him three times, leaving him to die.
It became evident through the course of the trial that Momeni had indeed killed Lee, but Momeni’s defense team attempted to show the jury that Lee was unstable and the aggressor in the altercation.
Late in the trial, Momeni’s defense team presented a video to the jury that purported to be Lee snorting cocaine with the alleged murder weapon attempting to infuse some doubt. Lee’s ex-wife asserted the object in the video was only a collar stay that Lee apparently frequently carried with him.
Bob Lee’s brother, Oliver, after the verdict: "Justice was done, and Nima Momeni will no longer be able to harm anyone else."
— The San Francisco Standard (@sfstandard) December 17, 2024
🎥: @tomoki_chien pic.twitter.com/NugxqopzbC
The SF Standard, who have providing in-depth coverage of the trial along with many other news outlets, described the tense crowd in the packed courtroom as the verdict was read, and captured the reaction from Lee’s family afterward.
Lee‘s brother seemed pleased with the results saying “justice was done today.”
A first degree murder charge comes with 25 years to life in California. Instead, the 40-year-old Momeni is facing 15 years to life.
“In a world where the powerful and well-connected sometimes act as though they are immune to consequences, it is heartening to see a jury of ordinary San Franciscans demonstrate that if you break the law, you will be held accountable,” said Assistant District Attorneys Talai and Reinstedt in a statement. “Bob Lee was beloved by his friends, family, and community, and we hope that this verdict gives them a measure of peace and closure.”
A sentencing date has not been provided.
