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(NewsNation) — Nima Momeni was found guilty of second-degree murder by a jury in the high-profile trial of the tech consultant who was charged in the stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee in 2023.
A jury reached a verdict in the case Monday after deliberating for seven days before agreeing on a unanimous decision, The Associated Press reported. The verdict was not read, however, until Tuesday morning so jurors, the judge, Momeni, Lee’s family, Momeni’s supporters, defense attorneys, prosecutors and reporters could all gather in the courtroom.
The only family member present at the courthouse Monday afternoon was Momeni’s mother, who immediately began sending text messages on her cellphone.
In California, a second-degree murder conviction carries a 15-year sentence. Sentencing is expected to be handed down in about six weeks.
Emotions inside the courtroom were varied after the verdict was read. Lee’s family was said to be crying, while the defendant showed little emotion. Momeni’s mother leaned forward as the verdict was read and seemed to be getting emotional.
Lee’s brother, Tim, told reporters outside the courtroom that he was happy with the jury’s decision.
“I think it was a very difficult case to prove in this day and age,” Tim Lee said, adding, “As much of a bad process as this has been, (prosecutors) made it better.”
Tim Lee said he experienced “all the emotions at once” as the verdict was read. While jurors passed on the first-degree murder charges Momeni was facing, Lee said he felt as if he was going to have a heart attack when the guilty finding on second-degree murder was read.
“I know for a fact I’m never going to have my brother back, but this is the best of all worst outcomes,” he said.
Tim Lee said his family is considering filing a civil suit against Momeni. Bob Lee’s birthday is Friday, his brother said, and between 30 and 40 family members and friends were in court Tuesday for the verdict to support the slain executive.
“We’re going to have a good day,” Tim Lee told reporters. “It’s been a long time, but we’re going to have a good day today the best we can.”
What jurors considered in the case
Jury deliberations began earlier this month after prosecutors concluded during their closing argument that Momeni planned the 2023 attack after hearing that the tech mogul had introduced his younger sister to a drug dealer who she says gave her GHB and other drugs and then sexually assaulted her at his apartment.
Prosecutors maintain that Momeni lured Lee to an isolated location near the Bay Bridge and stabbed him three times with a knife from his sister’s kitchen. Defense attorneys, however, said that Lee was on a multiday cocaine and alcohol bender and attacked Momeni with a knife over a bad joke.
The defense argued that Momeni acted in self-defense. Momeni testified during the trial that Lee walked away from the incident and showed no signs of injury.
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Bob Lee -
Bob Lee -
FILE – Nima Momeni, the man charged in the fatal stabbing of Cash App founder Bob Lee, makes his way into the courtroom for his arraignment in San Francisco, May 2, 2023. (Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via AP, Pool, File) -
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 18: Attorney Paula Canny, left, and Nima Momeni, right, in court at the Hall of Justice on May 18, 2023 in San Francisco, California. 38 year-old tech entrepreneur Nima Momeni was arraigned today in a San Francisco courtroom in connection with the stabbing murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee. Momeni pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. (Photo by Paul Kuroda-Pool/Getty Images) -
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 18: Attorney Paula Canny, left, and Nima Momeni, right, in court at the Hall of Justice on May 18, 2023 in San Francisco, California. 38 year-old tech entrepreneur Nima Momeni was arraigned today in a San Francisco courtroom in connection with the stabbing murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee. Momeni pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. (Photo by Paul Kuroda-Pool/Getty Images) -
Nima Momeni, charged with murder in the killing of Cash App founder Bob Lee, enters the courtroom at the Hall of Justice on Thursday, May 18, 2023, in San Francisco. (Paul Kuroda/ The Standard via AP, Pool) -
Nima Momeni, right, listens to his attorney Paula Canny during an appearance at the Hall of Justice in San Francisco, Tuesday, April 25, 2023. Momeni has been charged with murder in the death of tech entrepreneur Bob Lee. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
What happened between Nima Momeni and Bob Lee
Momeni’s attorneys said that their client was not angry with Lee and that he had no motive to kill the executive.
Surveillance footage shows the two men leaving Momeni’s sister’s apartment around 2 a.m. on the day of the incident and getting into Momeni’s car. Other footage shows the two men getting out of the BMW in the area where the stabbing took place.
Lee was found around 2:30 a.m. in downtown San Francisco, dripping in blood and calling for help. He later died at a hospital.
The knife used in the attack was described as a paring knife with a 4-inch blade and had Momeni’s DNA on the handle and Lee’s DNA on the blade, prosecutors said. Defense attorneys said that the DNA evidence was not definitive and that the handle of the knife should have included the DNA of both men.
The Associated Press reported that testimony included the fact that Lee and Momeni’s sister, Khazar Momeni, had been doing drugs and drinking at the apartment belonging to a drug dealer that Lee knew.
The defense showed a video of Lee during its closing arguments. The video shows Lee and his friend several hours earlier doing lines of cocaine off the tip of what they said was a knife the exact size and shape of the murder weapon.
The Associated Press contributed to this article