For the family of Bob Lee, this week’s arrest of Nima Momeni in the fatal stabbing of the tech executive may offer some relief.
“Hopefully, now our family can begin the healing process,” Lee’s brother, Timothy, wrote on Facebook after San Francisco police announced the arrest Thursday.
But the filing of murder charges against Momeni also opens a new chapter in the case, as prosecutors assemble evidence against the 38-year-old IT businessman. Momeni quizzed Lee about “inappropriate” contact with his sister and drug use before the fatal stabbing on April 4, according to prosecutors.
Momeni appeared in court Friday but did not enter a plea, and he remains in jail. He is expected to appear in court again on April 25.
Here’s a look at some of the key moments and critical locations in the case, which has attracted attention across the country and around the world.
Bob Lee in San Francisco
Lee, the former chief technology officer of Square, was known as a key player in developing the Cash App. He was stabbed early on the morning of April 4 and died later that morning.
After years of living in the Bay Area, Lee, 43, recently relocated to Miami but had returned to San Francisco for a work trip. He was serving as chief product officer for MobileCoin, a crypto company when he was killed.
The Crime Scene and Memorial
According to court documents, police obtained video footage that shows Momeni appearing to stab Lee under the Bay Bridge on Main Street. Momeni allegedly drove off from the scene in a white BMW.
Prosecutors said in court documents that police found a silver and black knife, the suspected murder weapon, near the scene of the incident. Other video footage shows Lee’s desperate bid to find help after he was mortally wounded. Lee called 911 from his cell phone and collapsed outside the Portside apartments. A makeshift memorial appeared in the days after his death.
The Raid on Momeni's Emeryville Home
Momeni was arrested early Thursday at his home in Emeryville, a short drive across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco. The arrest took place around 5 a.m.
Sam Singer, a well-known San Francisco public relations professional and neighbor of Momeni’s, said the arrest left him in “absolute shock.” He called Momeni a "very nice gentleman.” Singer added, “I would not have expected that he would be alleged to have committed a murder or a stabbing of any sort."
The Arrest and Search of Millenium Tower
Momeni’s arrest was announced Thursday by Police Chief Bill Scott, with Mayor London Breed and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins at his side. Jenkins scolded those who jumped to the conclusion that Lee’s killing was a random stabbing and proof that violent street crime is out of control in San Francisco. She also called a Tweet by Twitter boss Elon Musk “reckless and irresponsible,” serving only to mislead residents and reinforce a negative perception of San Francisco across the globe.
The Arraignment and a Connected Couple
Momeni’s sister Khazar and her husband, Dr. Dino Elyassnia, a well-known San Francisco plastic surgeon, attended Friday’s court appearance for Nima Momeni, but they made no comments to the media. Court documents indicate Khazar Momeni may have been at the heart of an argument between Lee and her brother, leading to the fatal stabbing.
A longtime friend of Lee’s told police that he and Lee spent much of April 3 drinking with Khazar Momeni, according to court records. At some point, Lee and his friend went to Lee’s hotel. While at the hotel, Lee allegedly had an argument with Nima Momeni about whether his sister was doing drugs or anything else inappropriate.
