When Bob Lee, a well-known tech executive who co-founded the payment programme Cash App, was stabbed to death in April, many within San Francisco’s close-knit tech community lept to conclusions, with figures like Elon Musk declaring the death another sign of the city’s persistent, if often misunderstood, struggles with random street crime.
What actually happened, according to prosecutors and friends of Lee, couldn’t be further from this original narrative.
Lee was part of an underground party scene in San Francisco known among participants as “The Lifestyle,” where recreational drugs and casual sex were common, participants and those who knew Lee told The Wall Street Journal.
One of the people Lee overlapped with within San Francisco nightlife was Khazar Momeni, sister of Nima Momeni, the man arrested in April for Lee’s murder. He plans to plead not guilty.
Lee and Ms Momeni, who is married, were reportedly in a casual relationship.
“There are many rumors circulating around this case, many of them untrue,” lawyers for Ms Momeni told the Journal. “Ms. Momeni loves and supports her brother. What happened here is a tragedy, and Ms. Momeni is deeply saddened at the suffering of the Lee family as they deal with their terrible loss.”
In the hours before Lee was killed, Mr Momeni confronted Lee about his sister, prosecutors allege, asking if she had done anything inappropriate, which he denied.
Later, according to officials, Khazar Momeni sent Lee a text message acknowledging the confrontation: “Just wanted to make sure your doing ok Cause know nima came wayyyyyy down hard on you.”
Hours after the alleged confrontation, Lee was seen getting into a white BMW with Mr Momeni, and prosecutors allege he drove the tech executive to a secluded area and stabbed him to death with a kitchen knife.
The Independent has contacted Mr Momeni’s lawyer for comment.
Lee had been using cocaine and ketamine before his death, an autopsy found.
Mr Momeni, an IT executive, will be arraigned later his month.
