Daughter of the late Bob Lee, a notable tech magnate, Scout Lee reeled from the stunning verdict in the murder case tied to her father. Following a week-long period of jury deliberation in December, tech advisor Nima Momeni was absolved of first-degree murder charges connected to Mr. Lee’s demise on April 4, 2023. Scout Lee, 16, recalls a gut-wrenching tension in the court. The enormity of the situation left her engulfed in an overwhelming sensation.
Maintaining a grip on her mother’s hand, Scout wept openly in the courtroom. Viewing herself as a younger counterpart to her father, she admitted to a fleeting sense of relief as Momeni received a conviction for the lesser charge of second-degree murder seconds after the acquittal. Still, she harbored reservations about the concept of justice she had witnessed, especially considering the consistent portrayal of premeditation in the District Attorney’s presentation.
The prosecution’s case was hinged on the claim that Momeni, aged 40, murdered Lee upon learning from his sister that she had been sexually violated by an acquaintance introduced by Lee. The man implicated, Jeremy Boivin, was never formally charged relating to the presumed assault. Over the course of the trial which commenced in October, Momeni voiced his defense, asserting he acted to protect himself when he fatally injured Lee.
Momeni, now facing a life sentence of up to 16 years, intends to contest his conviction. The schedule for pronouncing his punishment is set for May 16. Bob Lee, aged 43, renowned as the creator of a widely used money transfer service and a key executive, met his untimely end with a triple stabbing near Bay Bridge, to the east of downtown San Francisco. His heart was punctured by one of the stab wounds.
As the night wore on, around 2:30 a.m., Lee dialed 911, pleading repetitively for help. Eventually, he succumbed to his wounds, collapsing in front of a nearby block of apartments. His demise was later confirmed in a close-by hospital. His gruesome end ignited debates about the rising violent crimes in San Francisco, with some blaming the city’s lax law enforcement, a claim refuted by the authorities, who contended the murder was committed by an acquaintance of Lee’s.
During the trial, it was suggested that Momeni was propelled into a fatal fury following his sister’s account of an unwelcome sexual encounter at a small gathering in Boivin’s apartment. Her testimony in court revealed she had been under the influence of cocaine, LSD, and GHB- a substance affiliated with date rape and other sexual violations. She recalled being physically powerless when Boivin slapped her rear end while her pants were down. Boivin, for his part, did not testify.
After her distressing encounter, Momeni’s sister confided in him about the incident. A heated telephonic exchange ensued between Momeni and Lee, catching the ear of a friend of Lee’s who later relayed snippets of the conversation to law enforcement. In the hours subsequent to the call, a meeting was convened between Lee and the Momeni siblings at her dwelling.
The prosecution advanced theories of Momeni procuring a paring knife from his sister’s kitchen, similar to the blade discovered at the crime scene. The 3 1/2-inch knife was traced to a spot half a block away from where Lee collapsed, guided by a dried track of blood. However, Momeni’s defense team maintained that the unfortunate incident was precipitated by Lee’s attack on Momeni, pleading the case of self-defense.
In Momeni’s explicit court testimony, he admitted initial frustration over the sexual assault claim involving his sister. However, after consulting with multiple individuals, his belief began to shift towards considering her account as likely inflated. Meeting Lee at his sister’s house, Momeni proposed a friendly outing. He recalls indulging in cocaine with Lee and heading out.
On their way to the club, in Momeni’s retelling, Lee accidentally spilled a drink. Momeni then teasingly suggested Lee should spend less time socializing and more with his family. Momeni claimed this remark enraged Lee. During the ensuing confrontation, Momeni alleged that he ended up unintentionally guiding the knife towards Lee in the midst of grabbing Lee’s arm after Lee supposedly initiated the attack.
Scout had attended portions of the trial and remembered it being a distressing experience. Her elder brother conceded he could manage to watch the high-definition security footage featuring their father’s collapse without openly displaying emotional distress. However, he commented, the repeated exposure to the visuals strained him emotionally to the brink of fainting.
Scout was somewhat unprepared for the revelations about her father’s less-valued habits revealed during the trial. The portrayal of her father as a regular partygoer felt alien to her. The man she knew was far from being a party animal. He was her dad, always there to assist with schoolwork, providing a sense of safety and tranquility with his parenting style.
His loss was especially hard-hitting for Scout, as just days before his tragic end, he had taken a trip to watch her in a dramatic play. Scout remembers it as one of her most important roles to date, followed by her dad’s words of praise and affectionate hugs. Sadly, it was also the last time she saw him.