Testimony continued Tuesday in the trial of Nima Momeni, charged with murdering Cash App founder Bob Lee, with a police sergeant and crime scene investigator taking the stand.
Momeni is accused of stabbing Lee to death in the early morning hours of April 4, 2023, in a secluded area of San Francisco. Lee was stabbed three times, and one of the wounds pierced his heart, according to court documents.
An argument between the two men over Momeni's sister preceded the stabbing, records show.
After Lee called 911 for help, police found him bleeding on Main Street and said they tracked a long trail of blood down the street. They also said they discovered the knife used to kill him nearby.
The San Francisco police sergeant and crime scene investigator were called to the stand Tuesday to talk about how the scene was investigated.
"A lot of this case is going to come down to a battle of the experts," legal analyst Steven Clark said. "You need to establish chain of custody and proper evidence handling and collection. That is critical to the prosecution’s case because they’re not relying on witnesses. They’re saying our case is built on the forensic evidence.”
During opening statements Monday, the prosecution told jurors that they will show Momeni attacked Lee in a rage because he thought Lee had acted inappropriately with Momeni’s sister.
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"They have a story and they’re sticking with it," Momeni attorney Saam Zangeneh said. "Typical government. This is what happened and we don’t care about anything else.”
Momeni’s sister is expected to testify later this week.
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"She is a critical witness in this case because she has allegiances to both men, and the question will be can she answer the question about who left with the knife," Clark said. "She can talk about what led up to this altercation."
The jury, made up of six men and six women, will ultimately decide whether Momeni is guilty. The trial is expected to last through mid-December.
