Thread by @sfstandard

Nima Momeni, the suspected killer of Bob Lee, was arraigned at a San Francisco court Friday morning.

In attendance were his sister, Khazar Elyassnia, and her husband, prominent SF plastic surgeon Dr. Dino Elyassnia.

🧵⬇️ (1/16)

In the hours since, new details have emerged that seem to place Khazar at the center of a dispute between her brother and Lee.

Details in the investigation are emerging quickly. Here’s a roundup of everything new we know so far. (2/16)

Nima Momeni was arrested at his live/work space in Emeryville (just 10 mins across the Bay Bridge from SF) in a pre-dawn raid Thursday morning.

Momeni’s LinkedIn profile describes him as the owner of Expand IT, an Emeryville-based technology and cyber security firm, since 2010.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Later Thursday, @SFPDChief Bill Scott confirmed that Momeni and Lee knew each other, contradicting speculation that Lee’s killing was a random attack.

Beyond that, the SFPD declined to provide further details, and no hints of a motive were given. (4/16)

But shortly after the arraignment, new details were found in court documents.

A longtime friend of Lee’s told police that he and Lee spent much of April 3 drinking with Nima Momeni's sister, Khazar, according to court records. (5/16)

Later, Lee and his friend went to the hotel where Lee was staying and invited Khazar to join them. She declined.

While at the hotel, Nima Momeni allegedly quizzed Lee about “inappropriate” contact with his sister and possible drug use. The friend said Lee had to reassure Momeni… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Lee and his friend continued to hang out until separating at around 12:30 a.m., when Lee went to visit Khazar Elyassnia in the Millennium Tower, an upscale apartment building where she owns a unit, court documents say. (7/16)

Khazar Elyassnia and her husband were featured in a November 2020 issue of Haute Living magazine. In the article, he praised her as “one of a kind—passionate, brave, and intelligent.” (8/16)

But a friend of Lee’s told police that the marriage seemed to be in trouble, though he did not know whether Lee and Khazar Momeni were having an intimate relationship.

Police were able to unlock Lee’s phone and found communications between him and Khazar. (9/16)

Though the court documents don’t say when the communications occurred, at one point Khazar texted Lee: “Just wanted to make sure your doing OK Cause I know nima came wayyyyyy down hard on you And thank you for being such a classy man handling it with class Love you Selfish… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Later on in the morning of Lee’s killing, the friend called to ask Khazar if Lee went to her apartment. She told the friend he stopped by "for a second," but she fell asleep and didn't know when Lee left. (11/16)

Footage from Millennium Tower shows Nima Momeni getting out of his white BMW at the high-rise at 8:31 p.m.

A little more than four hours later., Lee arrived at the tower. Then, shortly after 2 a.m., both Lee and Nima Momeni were seen on camera getting into Momemi’s BMW and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Footage obtained by police appears to show the moment and location Lee was stabbed—under the Bay Bridge on Main Street, according to court records.

The footage shows a BMW and the red glow of tail lights, as well as two people police believe are Lee and Nima Momeni standing… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

At one point, the pair move closer together before Lee walks away, appearing to be wounded.

In the footage, Nima Momeni appears to walk to a fence—which is where police found a 4-inch silver and black kitchen knife, the suspected murder weapon—before getting back in the BMW and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Lee was stabbed three times—once in the hip and twice in the chest, according to court records.

One stab wound penetrated his heart and killed him.

Police found what they believe to be the knife that killed Lee in a nearby parking lot with blood on it. (15/16)

“The defendant not only drove victim to a secluded area in the opposite direction of his hotel, but also brought a kitchen knife with him,” prosecutors said in court records.

“Defendant did not use some type of pocket knife, but a cooking knife from an apartment kitchen. This… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Momeni will remain in custody without bail. He is next scheduled to appear on April 25 at 9 a.m.

You can find more coverage of the Bob Lee slaying on our website (linked below), here on Twitter and across our social media accounts.
sfstandard.com