Suspect in fatal stabbing of Cash App founder Bob Lee knew victim, police say

Staff and wire reports
Updated ·2 min read
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An arrest has been made in the investigation into the April 4 homicide of tech executive Bob Lee, officials confirmed.

Nima Momeni, 38, was booked on suspicion of murder, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said during a news conference Thursday. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Momeni will be charged with murder in Lee's death.

Momeni is expected to be arraigned on Friday.

Officials confirmed that the men knew each other but declined to provide additional details. It was not immediately clear whether Momeni has an attorney.

Police found Lee with stab wounds in the Rincon Hill neighborhood of San Francisco at 2:30 a.m. April 4. He died at a hospital.

On his LinkedIn profile, Momeni describes himself as an “IT Consultant/Entrepreneur” as well as “owner” at a company called Expand IT.

The arrest of someone who knew Lee, according to investigators, was at odds with the narrative that had built up around the case in the past week, much of which was based on the idea that Lee's killing was another act of random violence in a city increasingly portrayed as 'lawless.'

Prominent tech leaders took to social media to mourn Lee's death and blame San Francisco for what they call the city's lax attitude toward crime. Scott and Jenkins pushed back against that narrative on Thursday, with the prosecutor specifically naming tech billionaire Elon Musk for commenting on the case.

“This doesn't have to do with San Francisco, this has to do with human nature,” Scott said.

Last week: Cash App creator Bob Lee, 43, dies after apparent stabbing in San Francisco 

'Doesn't make sense': Louisville grieves as Old National Bank goes from crime scene to memorial 

How did Bob Lee die?

Police responded to a reported stabbing at around 2:35 a.m. April 4 – and found a 43-year-old man, later identified as Lee, "suffering from apparent stab wounds," according to a San Francisco police statement.

Lee was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died.

Bob Lee, founder of Cash App, died on April 4, 2023. He was 43.
Bob Lee, founder of Cash App, died on April 4, 2023. He was 43.

"I want to assure everyone that our investigators are working tirelessly to make an arrest and bring justice to Mr. Lee and his loved ones, just as we try to do on every homicide that occurs in our city,” San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said in a statement on April 6.

Who was Bob Lee?

In addition to working as chief product officer of MobileCoin, Lee previously served as the first chief technology officer of Square – when he helped create Cash App, MobileCoin CEO Josh Goldbard said.

"Bob surely had an impact that will last far beyond his short time on earth. This may sound impressive, but Bob’s real resume is the hearts and minds he touched," Goldbard wrote. "We will miss you Bob. We love you."

Contributing: Wyatte Grantham-Philips

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nima Momeni arrested in Cash App founder Bob Lee's stabbing death