The tension was high Thursday in a San Francisco courtroom as the prosecution cross-examined murder defendant Nima Momeni about Cash App founder Bob Lee's stabbing death.
There were multiple heated moments during the exchanges between Deputy District Attorney Omid Talai and Momeni, who is charged with fatally stabbing Lee in the early morning hours of April 4, 2023, in a secluded San Francisco neighborhood.
Almost from the start Thursday, Judge Alexandra Gordon stepped in to admonish Momeni for speaking before Talai finished his question. Gordon interrupted about five times during the morning session in an effort to keep order.
"We're about a minute in, but let me remind you that only one person can speak at a time," Gordon told Momeni.
On the stand, Momeni was often argumentative and tried to speak over Talai. At several points, Talai asked him if his story made sense given his and other witness testimony.
"The key is trying to go after Momeni on the ancillary issues such as who brought the knife, why did he leave, is it plausible that Mr. Lee, who was stabbed three times, just merely walked away?" legal analyst Steven Clark said.
On the stand, Momeni seemed intent on sticking to his story. When Talai asked him what he thought or how things happened, Momeni would sometimes say he'd like to see the video of the altercation or some other exhibit so he could describe what happened. At one point, Gordon told Momeni that Talai is not obligated to show him any exhibits while he's asking a question.
Lee's family grew visibly disturbed in court as they watched Momeni and Talai's exchanges.
"It's really, it's crazy," Lee's brother, Oliver, said. "Nothing lines up. Knowing Bob and knowing his personality, it's so far outside his character that it just doesn't, it's not something that could ever exist in reality."
In the gallery, Momeni’s mom was visibly shaking her head when questioning got to how angry a brother could get after learning his sister was allegedly sexually assaulted.
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Momeni first took the stand in his own defense Wednesday and told his version of the moments leading up to and following Lee's fatal stabbing. Momeni testified that the two men took drugs in the car, and when they got out, Lee pulled the murder weapon from his own jacket and lunged at Momeni.
Prosecutors on Thursday asked Momeni to recount the statement he made right before Lee lunged at him that night. He replied: "If I knew this was my last night in town, I would spend it with my family instead of (expletive) around at a strip club."
Prosecutors argue that Lee was in town for his family and has a good relationship with them.
Momeni previously told jurors he drove off from the scene because he did not realize Lee had been stabbed repeatedly. And he claimed it wasn't until the next day he found out Lee was dead.
The trial resumes Monday.
