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Bob Lee killing: Autopsy shows slain tech exec had cocaine, ketamine in his system

Three people holding drinks and cheers.
Bob Lee and others attend the Build gala in San Francisco on March 1, 2014. | Drew Altizer Photography | Source: Drew Altizer Photography

Slain tech executive Bob Lee had cocaine, ketamine, alcohol and other substances in his system the night he was killed, according to the San Francisco Chief Medical Examiner’s Office.

Lee was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife on April 4 in Downtown San Francisco, and prosecutors say the attacker was the brother of a woman he knew. 

Nima Momeni, a tech consultant, has since been charged with murder, with the District Attorney’s Office alleging the killing involved a dispute between the two men over what Lee was doing with Khazar Momeni, the defendant’s sister.

The autopsy’s finding of drugs in Lee’s system is in line with reporting and court records previously obtained by The Standard indicating drug use played a role in the killing, with most of the people involved socializing in circles where recreational drug use was common. Hours before his killing, Lee and Khazar Momeni were at the home of a suspected drug dealer, who said he was Lee’s friend. 

The autopsy, which was released Monday, also detailed the length’s medical personnel went to try and save Lee, as well as the cause of his death. 

Lee called 911 at approximately 2:36 a.m. and told dispatchers that he’d been stabbed and needed aid, the report said.

He was caught on video trying to stop passing cars in what appeared to be pleas for help. Before his collapse, he was caught on tape making calls or texting on his cell phone. 

Police arrived at the scene first and began performing CPR on an unconscious Lee. He was then taken to the hospital where staff worked to save him from three stab wounds, two to his chest—one of which pierced his heart—which eventually were the cause of his death.

Lee finally died in the operating room at 6:49 a.m., more than five hours after he called 911.

Nima Momeni was arrested at his Emeryville home more than a week after Lee’s killing. Since then, prosecutors have said Lee and Momeni were captured on video leaving Momeni’s sister’s home. They then drove together to a spot under the bridge where, prosecutors allege, video footage shows the two move close to each other shortly before the tech executive was found bleeding to death nearby.

Police later recovered a bloody kitchen knife not far from where Lee was found. 

Momeni’s attorney has called into question the quality of the video that allegedly shows her client attacking Lee. 

Momeni is set to appear in court Tuesday. He has yet to enter a plea.

Jonah Owen Lamb can be reached at jonah@sfstandard.com

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