Defense in Nima Momeni murder trial opens with DNA expert

The jury in the Nima Momeni murder heard trial from the defenses first two witnesses, a DNA expert and a woman who was with the defendants sister in the hours before Cash App founder Bob Lee was killed.

San Francisco - The defense in the Nima Momeni murder trial began its case Thursday with a DNA expert of their own, hoping to sow doubt in the way San Francisco police collected and analyzed evidence in the deadly stabbing of Cash App founder Bob Lee.

DNA expert Greg Hampikian was the first witness for the defense, which has slammed police for failing to examine the alleged murder weapon for fingerprints.

Authorities say Momeni’s DNA was found on the knife handle and blood on the blade belonged to Lee. Police have testified the knife had a rubber handle and that it’s difficult to get prints off rubber.

But Hampikian, a forensic biologist, told the jury it’s possible to test an object first for fingerprints before doing a DNA analysis.

Hampikian also raised the possibility of both "false inclusion" and "false exclusion" with respect to evidence analyzed by the SFPD crime lab.

KTVU legal analyst Michael Cardoza says because Momeni says he killed Lee in self-defense, the jury will wonder why Lee’s prints were not found on the knife handle.

"So they’re trying to show you didn’t do a complete scientific analysis of collection of evidence, and therefore his fingerprints were in fact on the handle, but you didn’t go far enough to find them," Cardoza said.

On cross-examination by the prosecution, Hampikian confirmed he’s being paid $12,000 by the defense to review the DNA analysis and to testify, plus hotel expenses and travel from Idaho, where he’s been a professor at Boise State University and founder of the Idaho Innocence Project.

The jury is also starting to hear from Aranza Villegas, the woman who was with Momeni's sister Khazar in the hours before Lee was killed.

Both Khazar Momeni and Villegas told the jury they were given drugs by Lee’s alleged drug dealer that made them feel sick. Cardoza says the defense has to be very careful with this testimony, as it could provide a motive for Nima Momeni to kill Lee. Villegas will be back on the stand when the trial resumes on Tuesday.

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

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