Prosecution rests in Nima Momeni murder trial

SAN FRANCISCO - The prosecution rested its case Wednesday in the Nima Momeni murder trial after calling its lead investigator to the stand.

All eyes now are on the defense's case beginning Thursday - and whether Momeni himself will take the stand.

Defense attorneys ordinarily advise their clients not to testify, as it risks them not being liked by the jury. Defendants also are subject to challenging cross-examination.

But Momeni says he fatally stabbed Cash App founder Bob Lee in self-defense after Lee came at him with a knife. According to the defense, Momeni then took the knife from Lee and killed him to protect himself.

"Because there’s a self-defense defense in this case, the attorneys for Momeni are going to have to put him on the stand, because he’s the only one that can explain to the jury that what he did, in fact was self-defense," said KTUV legal analyst Michael Cardoza.

Saam Zanganeh, one of Momeni's five attorneys, would not say if the defense intends to call him as a witness, but did say Momeni wants to testify. 

"Of course he does," Zanganeh said outside court. "He's been wanting to tell his side of the story for a very long time. You know, the - I won't say the media - but the picture that has been painted of Nima isn't Nima. 

But Lee's brother Tim Oliver Lee says he's seen no evidence that Momeni acted in self-defense.

"Nima's DNA is on the handle of the knife, my brother's DNA is unfortunately on the top of the knife, and anything that they have of self-defense, you'd have sweaty hands, the DNA would have been on the handle of the knife. It makes no sense whatsoever," he said.

The defense made a standard motion for a mistrial on a number of grounds, but it was denied by the judge. The defense will call its first witness 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