After seven weeks of trial and seven days of deliberations, jurors on Tuesday found Nima Momeni guilty of second-degree murder for fatally stabbing Cash App founder Bob Lee under the Bay Bridge in San Francisco last year.
The dead silent courtroom at the Hall of Justice was packed with family and friends of both Lee and Momeni who waited anxiously to hear the verdict.
As the court clerk read out that Momeni was found guilty of second-degree murder, some of Lee's loved ones let out a sigh of relief with tears in their eyes.
Momeni sat stoically while his defense attorney Tony Brass rubbed his arm. Momeni looked at each juror as they individually replied "yes" when San Francisco Superior Court Judge Alexandra Gordon asked them if they agreed with the decision.
Outside of the courtroom, Lee's immediate family and ex-wife Krista Lee spoke to the media.
"We're happy that Nima Momeni will not be on the streets and no longer has the opportunity to harm anybody else in this world," said Timothy Oliver Lee, the brother of Bob Lee. "The verdict of murder two will put him away for a long time."
Second-degree murder means that the jury believes Momeni intended to kill Lee or inflict great bodily harm without any legal justification nor premeditation. The conviction carries 16 years to life in prison, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said.
Lee's loved ones also said they wanted Momeni's family to feel just as guilty.
"Not only did Nima perpetrate this crime, but also the people in his immediate circle were helpful in trying to cover it up," Timothy Oliver said.
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"The blood is on their hands," Krista said. "The mother, the sister, the brother in-law. Our fight is not over yet."
Krista believes that Momeni's family members should also be held accountable for allegedly taking steps to try and cover up Momeni's actions.
Evidence during the trial revealed that Momeni granted his sister and mother the power of attorney a few days after the stabbing to sell his BMW, the same car that he fled the scene in. Momeni also stored the car at his mother's house in a carport directly after Lee's death, according to Assistant District Attorney Omid Talai.
Krista also said that since Bob's stabbing, she learned about Momeni's alleged history of a violent streak.
"In the last 18 months, I have received overwhelming information in regards to Mr. Momeni's behavior, his abusive nature, people he has stabbed before, women he has abused before," Krista said after the verdict in an interview. "This man deserves life in prison as far as I'm concerned. I'm glad that he's off the streets and I urge anyone to come forward who has ever been attacked by him and tell their stories."
Mahnaz Tayarani, who is the mother of Momeni, was disappointed in Tuesday's verdict and defended her son's character while speaking to the media.
"My son is not such a person," she said. "He is the kindest person. Every mother would love to have a son like him … this is not a fair trial."
Krista also had strong words for Khazar Momeni, the sister of Nima.
Bob knew Khazar and hung out with her the day before the murder. The prosecution argued that Nima stabbed Bob in a fit of rage because he believed Bob was involved in Khazar allegedly being sexually assaulted and ingesting date-rape drugs.
"If it wasn't for Khazar's manipulation, drug abuse and promiscuity, this wouldn't have happened," Krista said.
During her testimony, Khazar said she was using drugs including cocaine and nitrous oxide the day before the murder. She also said that Jeremy Boivin, a drug dealer who Bob introduced Khazar to, allegedly pulled down her pants and slapped her butt without consent.
Surveillance footage of that night showed that during the time of the alleged assault, Bob was spending time at different bars with his friend Bo Mohazzabi.
The bulk of Momeni's five-member defense team did not attend the reading of the verdict in person. Outside of the courtroom, Brass told reporters that the decision of second-degree murder was unexpected.
"This is a very painful day and this is not the end of the story," Brass said. "We were surprised this wasn't a lesser verdict and we intend to see what we can do to continue to fight."
Jenkins told the press that sentencing will likely occur in February or March of next year.
Lee's family is content with the verdict and is hoping that it will help bring closure and solace surrounding his death.
"All the way back for the last 18 months, this has been an extremely hard process to be able to try and get through," Timothy Oliver said. "We're happy this part's over and we're happy it's a guilty verdict. He is being held accountable for his actions and so now we can start healing, trying to come together more as a family to try and on from this."
