The murder trial of Nima Momeni, the man authorities claim killed Cash App founder Bob Lee by stabbing him last year, was scheduled to resume Monday in San Francisco.
On the third day of deliberations after being given the case last Wednesday, the jury will begin again at 9:30 a.m. on Monday.
Momeni faces a 26-year-to-life jail sentence for first-degree murder in connection with the 2023 stabbing death of tech executive Lee. Jurors are also deliberating about manslaughter and second-degree murder.
The jurors were instructed by the judge that any verdict they reach must be unanimous.
Momeni is charged with killing Lee early in the morning of April 2023 in a lonely area of San Francisco’s East Cut neighborhood. Momeni was upset with the IT executive, according to the prosecution, because he introduced his sister Khazar Momeni to a suspected drug dealer who allegedly fed her narcotics and sexually raped her.
Momeni’s attorneys attempted to persuade the jury that their client acted in self-defense when Lee, under the influence of cocaine and ketamine, sprang at Momeni while brandishing a knife. According to the defense, Momeni’s “bad joke” about Lee’s family caused Lee to become unpredictable and hostile.
As they assess Nima Momeni’s fate, jurors are taking into account thousands of pieces of evidence and 21 days of occasionally acrimonious testimony.
Attorney Shannon Dugan watched the trial from the courtroom the entire time. According to her, the jury’s inability to reach a verdict in the two days could be encouraging for the defendant.
“If everybody agrees quickly on the evidence and on the law, they could come back with a verdict of guilty faster, although there’s always the exceptions,” Dugan stated. However, I also believe that this jury is making a lot of effort to get it right. They take their work very seriously, and I believe they bear a great deal of responsibility for both sides.
Deliberations began last week, one day after Momeni’s lawyers concluded their closing statement with a shocking video clip they said showed Lee using the same knife that killed him hours later to do cocaine outside a private club.
Krista, Lee’s ex-wife, refuted the allegations on Wednesday morning by offering a different explanation for what her ex-husband might have been holding outside the Battery.
“He was not holding a knife. The collar stay was made of metal. Bob has been using it for years. Holding her thumb and fingers four or five inches apart, Lee remarked, “It’s about yay long.” “And I should only hope that in the evidence it will come up.”
Since it was never brought up in court, it is unlikely that the jury will consider the idea that the object in Lee’s hand might have been a collar stay.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.