Friend of Bob Lee testifies about “bizarre” phone call from Nina Momeni
A friend of slain tech executive Bob Lee testified Wednesday that the victim received a “bizarre” phone call from Nima Momeni the night before the killing in which Momeni accused Lee of acting inappropriately with his sister.
SAN FRANCISCO – A friend of slain tech executive Bob Lee testified Wednesday that the victim received a “bizarre” phone call from Nima Momeni the night before the killing in which Momeni accused Lee of acting inappropriately with his sister.
Momeni sounded like an “overprotective brother,” interrogating Lee about alleged drug use and sexual activity at a party, Lee’s friend Borzoyeh Mohazzabi said in San Francisco Superior Court on the third day of Momeni’s murder trial.
Under questioning from prosecutor Omid Talai, Mohazzabi said Lee appeared to be “calm” and “chill” that night but that Momeni sounded upset during the call, asking Lee, “What did she take?” referring to Momeni’s sister.
The prosecution is trying to paint a portrait of an angry Momeni setting out to avenge what he believed to be wrong against his sister in April 2023. But the defense says it was Lee, the founder of Cash App, who came at Momeni with a knife and that Momeni grabbed the weapon and killed Lee in self-defense.
Earlier Wednesday, attorneys for Momeni wrapped up their cross-examination of San Francisco police Officer Rosalyn Check, a crime scene investigator.
The defense peppered her with questions over why a bloody knife found near the crime scene wasn’t checked for fingerprints, in hopes of raising doubt about the police investigation.
The officer said the rubber on the handle made it difficult to process the knife for prints.
Khazar Momeni, the defendant’s sister, is expected to take the stand during the trial. Prosecutors have said she at one point described her brother as “f- psychotic.”
KTVU legal analyst Michael Cardoza says she will be a key witness.
“Certainly the prosecution thinks it’s gonna help them prove beyond reasonable doubt their case,” Cardoza said. “On the other side, you never know what the witness will do on the stand, and she could clearly do a 180 on you and if the cross-examination dissects her enough, it could actually be beneficial for the defense.”
The trial resumes on Thursday.
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan
The Source
This report was compiled through courtroom testimony and earlier KTVU reporting.
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