San Francisco police are holding a press conference Thursday to release details on an investigation into the killing of Bob Lee, a prominent tech executive.
Police arrested 38-year-old Nima Momeni in an early morning raid on his Emeryville home, a live-work space known as the Besler Building. Momeni was later booked into jail on suspicion of murder.
Cash App creator Lee bled out from stab wounds on a dark San Francisco street on April 4 at around 2:30 a.m. and died later at the hospital. While most homicides in the city garner little attention, the mystery around Lee’s death captured the eyes of the world.
Live Updates:
12:25 p.m. — Press is gathering at the San Francisco Police Station on Third Street. “The SFPD Homicide Detail has led the investigation,” a police press release said. “At this time we will provide an update on the developments of the homicide investigation.”
12:35 p.m. — The press conference is set to start soon.
12:39 p.m. — Mayor London Breed, joined by District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and Police Chief Bill Scott, addressed the media first and thanked investigators for their diligent work. “To be clear, every single case involving homicide or any violence, the same attention is brought to ensure justice is served.”
SFPD Confirms Suspect Knew Bob Lee
12:42 p.m. — Police Chief Bill Scott confirmed the arrest of 38-year-old Nima Momeni on suspicion of murder. “We can confirm Mr. Lee and Mr. Momeni knew each other,” Scott said.
Scott would not elaborate on the suspect and victim’s relationship.
Several Search Warrants Served
12:44 p.m. — Police served “several search warrants” in San Francisco and Emeryville, and Momeni was taken into custody without incident.
12:45 p.m. — Jenkins acknowledged the “pain and anguish” of Lee’s loved ones and offered her prayers. “I, too, want to commend the SF Police Department for identifying who committed this heinous crime,” Jenkins said. “While in some cases we do immediately have a suspect, that was not the case.”
12:46 p.m. — The DA’s Office intends to file a specific charge of murder, as well as an enhancement alleging the killing was committed with a knife. The DA’s Office will request Momeni be held without bail.
Elon Musk Slammed by DA Jenkins
12:48 p.m. — Jenkins noted that the findings of an investigation show the suspect and victim knew each other. “Regardless of the facts,” she said, “violent acts like this are jarring to us all.” Jenkins said law enforcement will not release any additional facts at this time. But she did respond to Twitter CEO Elon Musk, who tweeted last week, “Violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately.” She called Musk’s tweet “reckless and irresponsible,” only serving to mislead local residents and mislead people across the globe with a negative perception of San Francisco.
12:50 p.m. — The San Francisco police chief declined to provide a timeline of events leading up to the killing. “The evidence shows they knew each other, and that’s about as much as I can say,” Scott said. “I will say this: We’ve been on this around the clock, from the start.” He added that this is no different than any other homicide investigation.
12:53 p.m. — In response to a question about the perception of unchecked crime in San Francisco, Scott said the killing of Lee could have happened anywhere. “Put this in any other city, I don’t think it would have changed circumstances one bit,” Scott said. “Research shows most people who commit homicides know the people they kill.”
Two Search Warrants in San Francisco
12:53 p.m. — Scott said there were two search warrants served in San Francisco, and a search and arrest warrant was served in Emeryville.
12:55 p.m. — Scott and Jenkins talked about their offices working in concert with one another, as police only require probable cause to make an arrest but prosecutors need to be able to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury. Jenkins declined to answer a question from The Standard’s Michael Barba on whether Memoni was under surveillance after police identified him as a suspect.
12:55 p.m. — In response to a question about an unsolved killing in the Marina, Scott tried to reassure the public that the department does not give up on cases after an extended period of time. “We don’t lose hope,” Scott said. “Please don’t lose hope if your case is still out there.” He added that the department routinely hires retired officers and retired investigators to assist in working with the department’s cold case unit.
1:02 p.m. — Jenkins clearly took issue with the Twitter CEO’s tweet following Lee’s killing, which tagged the DA and suggested crime goes unchecked. “Since this event happened, since waking up to Elon Musk’s tweet, my office has worked hard to help people not make assumptions,” Jenkins said.
1:03 p.m. — Mayor Breed offered the closing remarks in the press conference. “I just want to take this into perspective: Just two days ago, our district attorney announced a murder conviction, and today not only the solving of this case and an arrest in this case, but the solving of a 1974 case,” Breed said. “That’s what you see with these two leaders here today: accountability. That is our goal, to make San Francisco a safe city for all of us.”
Live coverage has concluded.