Protection attorneys for a tech marketing consultant charged within the stabbing dying of Money App founder Bob Lee made their ultimate arguments Tuesday earlier than the high-profile homicide case goes to jurors.

Prosecutors, who delivered their closing Monday, say Nima Momeni deliberate the April, 2023, assault after listening to that the tech mogul had launched his youthful sister to a drug supplier who she says gave her GHB and different medication after which sexually assaulted her at his residence.

Momeni lured Lee to an remoted spot by the Bay Bridge, stabbed him 3 times with a knife from his sister’s kitchen set and pealed away in his automotive, they are saying.

However protection lawyer Saam Zangeneh mentioned Tuesday that prosecutors haven’t introduced the entire fact to jurors, omitting particulars and failing to analyze avenues that may not assist their trigger.

“The federal government’s entire case rests on motive,” he mentioned. “As a result of with out motive, with out a story as to why my consumer would have a knife in his pocket leaving his sister’s residence, this story doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t add up.”

Momeni faces 26 years to life in jail if convicted of homicide.

Surveillance video exhibits the 2 males leaving the luxury rental of the defendant’s sister, Khazar Momeni, round 2 a.m. and moving into Momeni’s BMW. Different surveillance footage then exhibits them getting out of the automotive close to the Bay Bridge.

Momeni testified he stopped his automotive after going over a pothole that brought on Lee to spill the beer he was holding. Momeni mentioned he then cracked a joke suggesting Lee ought to spend the final night time of his go to with household as an alternative of looking for a strip membership to maintain the get together going.

That’s when Lee instantly pulled a knife out of his jacket pocket, Momeni mentioned. He mentioned Lee later walked away, displaying no indicators he was injured.

The prosecution on Monday instructed jurors particulars about why Momeni’s story was not backed up by proof. They mentioned Momeni by no means known as police to report Lee’s alleged assault and even after he discovered Lee had died of stab wounds on the road the place he had final seen him.

Zangeneh didn’t dwell on particulars of the assault Tuesday morning.

As an alternative, he attacked the credibility of considered one of Lee’s mates who testified that hours earlier than the stabbing, Momeni grilled Lee over the cellphone about what occurred to his sister whereas on the drug supplier’s residence.

He additionally replayed surveillance video displaying that Lee had been offended at one level, and never the peaceable “teddy bear” household and mates described him to be. He mentioned Lee was on a multiday binge of alcohol, cocaine and ketamine and that toxicology experiences downplayed simply how a lot was in his system.

Zangeneh questioned why the outdated “beat-up” paring knife used within the stabbing was not launched into proof so jurors may see it intimately. He steered Lee could have introduced the knife alongside with the intention to snort extra cocaine, or that it might have come from another person’s kitchen totally.

He mentioned Lee and Momeni have been pleasant and on good phrases once they left his sister’s rental, and that Momeni was upset with the drug supplier, and never with Lee.

Lee was discovered staggering on a abandoned downtown San Francisco road at 2:30 a.m., dripping a path of blood and calling for assist. He later died at a hospital.

The protection continues its closing argument Tuesday. The prosecution could have an opportunity to make rebuttal remarks earlier than the case goes to jurors.