Officer testifies videos place Nima Momeni, Bob Lee together before killing

SAN FRANCISCO - Several San Francisco police officers testified Wednesday in the trial of Nima Momeni, who is accused of killing Cash App founder Bob Lee, including one officer who gathered surveillance footage that showed Momeni and Lee together shortly before the slaying.

However, the defense argues that the videos are far from a smoking gun.

Officer Milad Rashidian told the jurors that he was in charge of canvassing the neighborhood for surveillance videos showing Momeni and Lee in April 2023.

Prosecutors allege that Momeni fatally stabbed Lee beneath the Bay Bridge, believing Lee's supposed dealer had given Momeni's sister an excessive amount of drugs and had inappropriately touched her.

Contrary to this, the defense said that it was a drug-addled Lee who was aggressive and pulled a knife. The defense said that led Momeni to take the knife and stab Lee in self-defense.

Rashidian testified that he obtained over a dozen videos from the area, including footage of Lee and Momeni going down an elevator at Millennium Tower together, where Momeni's sister resides.

He also said he found a video that captured Lee entering Momeni's BMW outside the building, after which Momeni drove off. Rashidian said Lee seemed to be acting normally and Momeni appeared to obey all traffic laws.

Under defense cross-examination, Rashidian acknowledged that the videos wouldn't allow him to determine either of the men's moods or intoxication levels.

KTVU legal expert, Michael Cardoza said the jury will have to carefully weigh the video evidence collected by the officer.

"Both sides are going to try to have the jury interpret it in their favor," Cardoza said. "The defense is attacking it, saying, 'Look, you can't tell the state of inebriation, you can't hear them talk, whether they're slurring their words, whether they have red or watery eyes or any other signs of being under the influence.' But what this video does, it clearly puts them together."

The jury also heard from Sgt. Thomas Moran, who described discovering a "Joseph Joseph" brand knife in the kitchen of the defendant's sister, Khazar Momeni. The district attorney said that Nima Momeni used a different "Joseph Joseph" knife to kill Lee, later tossing it over a fence.

Both Lee's family and Momeni's mother attended the trial on Wednesday, which is set to continue on Thursday.

Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan