Suvechha Sarkar
In the early hours of April 4, 2023, a tragedy unfolded in San Francisco, California, altering the lives of those connected to the tech entrepreneur, Robert Harold Lee, affectionately known as Bob. First responders found the 43-year-old fatally stabbed, and he was rushed to the hospital, where he passed away shortly after. The episode titled ‘Dateline: Under the Bay Bridge’ explores the circumstances and timeline of his murder, blending surveillance footage, witness accounts, and investigative insights. It also features interviews with his loved ones and the officials who helped solve the crime and bring the killer to light.
Bob Lee Had Built an Impressive Career For Himself as a Tech Entrepreneur
Robert Harold Lee, lovingly known as Bob, arrived as a blessing in the lives of his parents, Rick and Nannette Renee Lee, on December 20, 1979. He grew up in a household filled with love and laughter in St. Louis, Missouri. Bob always maintained a close relationship with his beloved brother, Timothy Oliver Lee, AKA Tim. His loved ones described him as a kind and thoughtful person who never missed an opportunity to make others smile. From a young age, Bob was a bright student and a talented coder. He had even developed a game while studying at Lindbergh High School. After his graduation, he enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University to pursue a degree in Computer Science. At the university, Bob was a proud member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and worked at the admissions office as a Web Designer.
Reports state that Bob eventually dropped out of college after being offered a job in the tech industry. By 2004, he began working at Google as a Software Engineer. There, he played a significant role in developing the Android mobile operating system before leaving in 2010. During his technical career, he developed several programs and applications, including Guice. In January 2010, Bob joined Square and became its Chief Technology Officer (CTO). While working there, he founded the financial services app Square Cash in 2013, which later became known as Cash App. Bob left his position as CTO in May 2014 and began investing in multiple tech startups, including Figma, Clubhouse, and SpaceX. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also assisted the WHO with its application.
Bob Lee Called 911 Before He Was Found Unresponsive on Main Street
In 2021, Bob joined MobileCoin as the Chief Product Officer (CPO). Sometime in adulthood, Bob crossed paths with Krista Lee, and they soon hit it off. It wasn’t long before they tied the knot in a beautiful venue. Over the next few years, they welcomed their daughters, Dagny and Scout Lee, into the world. Unfortunately, Bob and Krista divorced in 2019 due to issues in their relationship. He had been residing in San Francisco, California, for several years before deciding to move to Miami, Florida, in October 2022. In his free time, Bob enjoyed playing water polo, which earned him the nickname “Crazy Bob.”
In April 2023, Bob was visiting San Francisco for a work trip. However, everything changed in the early morning of April 4, 2023. Around 2:30 am on that fateful day, Bob called 911, pleading for help multiple times. When Emergency Medical Services (EMS) rushed to the scene under the Bay Bridge on Main Street, they found him unresponsive and stabbed multiple times. Bob was immediately taken to San Francisco General Hospital. He was reportedly rushed to the operating room, but unfortunately passed away hours later.
At the scene, officials discovered a trail of blood leading to the location where Bob was found. They also recovered a kitchen knife along a fence near the location. The autopsy reportedly revealed that Bob was stabbed three times, twice in the chest and once in his hip, piercing his heart and lung. His cause of death was determined to be one of the stab wounds that penetrated his heart. The toxicology report revealed that Bob had alcohol, cocaine, and ketamine in his system when he was stabbed, but those were not factors that contributed to his death.
CCTV Footage, Witness Statements, and DNA Match Led Officials to the Killer
Authorities initially questioned Bob’s friend, Bo Mohazzabi, who informed them that he had met Bob on April 3. According to court documents, Bob had invited Bo to an apartment, where he was drinking with a woman, Khazar Momeni. In his statements, Bo told the officials that he and Bob then went to the latter’s hotel room, where Khazar’s brother, Nima Momeni, allegedly asked Bob if his sister was doing drugs or anything inappropriate. Bob allegedly assured Nima that it was not the case, as per reports. Detectives then discovered CCTV footage showing Nima entering Khazar’s apartment on April 3, around 8:30 pm, and Bob entered the building around 12:39 am on April 4. Official records state that CCTV footage captured Bob and Nima leaving together in Nima’s car around 2 am and stopping at a secluded area on Main Street.
Investigators uncovered another surveillance video showing a man wearing clothing similar to Nima’s moving toward another figure wearing the same clothing as Bob, before the two individuals separated. According to investigative reports, the footage further captured the person wearing similar clothes to Nima stopping by a fence, where officials found the kitchen knife. Further investigation revealed that the DNA found on the knife was a match to Bob, making it the murder weapon. Digital forensic experts also found a text on Bob’s mobile, in which Khazar checked on him, writing, “I know Nima came wayyyyyy down hard on you, and thank you for being such a classy man handling it with class.” Court records suggest that detectives discovered a woman had reported to the authorities in August 2022 that Nima had allegedly attacked her, but he was never officially charged for the incident.
When authorities questioned Khazar, she claimed that she had visited the home of a drug dealer with Lee, where the dealer allegedly gave her a drug and grabbed her inappropriately, as per court documents. Further reports indicate that Nima alleged Bob was the person who first attacked him with a knife, before he was forced to defend himself after he allegedly made a comment about Bob being a bad father. Ultimately, Nima was arrested on April 13, 2023, and charged with first-degree murder, with the enhancement for use of a deadly weapon (knife). His jury trial began in October 2024, and he was found guilty of second-degree murder on December 17, 2024. Nima reportedly faces a sentence of upto 16-years to life in prison, but as of writing, his sentencing has been delayed.
