After being convicted on Tuesday of killing Lee in San Francisco last year, Nima Momeni faces 16 years to life in prison. He was acquitted, however, of the more serious charge of first-degree murder.
“Although nothing will bring back Mr. Lee, I hope that this verdict brings his family and friends some closure as they work to heal from this devastating loss,” San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins in a statement following the conviction.
The San Francisco jury’s verdict came after Momeni gave Lee a ride in his car in April 2023. The two men allegedly knew each other for several years, particularly as Lee was an acquaintance of Momeni’s sister. Prosecutors argued that Momeni was upset that Lee introduced his sister to a drug dealer who allegedly gave her GHB, known as a date-rape drug.
Momeni said he made a “bad joke” causing Lee to attack him on the night of their fateful car ride. Momeni argued that he stabbed Lee to defend himself. Prosecutors countered that the incident was premeditated, calling it a planned and deliberate attack.
Drugs and alcohol were in Lee’s system at the time of his death.
“We think justice was done here today,” Lee’s brother, Timothy Lee, said in response to the verdict.
“Our family tries to start healing from here,” Timothy Lee told local CBS news station KPIX. “What’s happened over the last 18 months is that this has been an open wound for our family. It’s been so difficult because of the scrutiny and all the context that has been around us has been extremely hard for us. This marks a point where we know that Nima Momeni is being held accountable for his actions.”
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Citing alleged problems with evidence admitted into the trial that led to the second-degree murder conviction, Momeni’s lawyers have signaled they will review the case for an appeal.
The California murder case drew national attention, with tech mogul Elon Musk, whose empires were formerly based in the Golden State, arguing that the killing came as a result of relaxed crime policies.
