At the heart of millionaire Cash App founder Bob Lee's high-profile murder trial is the suspect's sister—Khazar Momeni, a glamorous plastic surgeon's wife who was reportedly involved in San Francisco's underground party scene, often described by drugs and swinging lifestyles.
Elyassnia, 38, was allegedly partying and romantically involved with Lee when her brother, 40-year-old Nima Momeni, decided to fatally stab him in the early hours of April 4, 2023. On that fateful night, 43-year-old Lee was found profusely bleeding and pleading for help in downtown San Francisco at 2:30 a.m., less than thirty minutes after he was seen leaving Elyassnia's upscale Millennium Tower home with her brother Nima Momeni.
Sex Drugs and Murder
Momeni's lawyers argue that he acted in self-defense when he killed Lee, claiming the tech founder was under the influence of drugs and attempted to attack Momeni with a knife.
Lee and Elyassnia were part of a wealthy San Francisco party scene referred to as "The Lifestyle," which centers around drug use and casual sexual encounters, as previously reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The pair had attended one of these parties together on the night of the murder, and prosecutors said during their opening remarks on Monday that Momeni believed Lee had drugged and raped his sister.
Prosecutors said that Momeni sought revenge for his sister, only for Khazar to later label him as "f–king psychotic" in "damning" text messages sent just hours after the incident.
They claimed that these messages are crucial evidence that will establish Momeni's guilt for first-degree murder.
Adding to the courtroom drama, Momeni's defense team tried to prevent Lee's ex-wife, Krista, from entering the courtroom after she referred to Khazar as "the whore of high tower," a reference to her apartment in a luxury high-rise, as indicated in court documents.
According to friends, the siblings are said to have a close relationship, having been born less than a year apart and immigrating from Iran with their mother in the 1990s. "[Nima] would do absolutely anything for [Khazar] and she would do anything for him," one friend told Mission Local.
Overprotective Brother Turns Murderer
Khazar has been married to Dr. Dino Elyassnia, a well-known plastic surgeon who focuses on rhinoplasty since 2013. His name has appeared in numerous magazines over the years, where he has spoken fondly about his marriage and wife, according to the San Francisco Standard.
He has been present in court during her brother's trial proceedings.
However, the portrayal of a happy marriage has become more complicated following her association with Lee and "The Lifestyle."
One person told the Standard that he matched with Khazar on a dating app in 2019 and even went home with her.
Last November, she was arrested for a DUI after crashing her Mercedes into multiple vehicles in broad daylight in San Francisco. Officers claimed they witnessed her inhaling nitrous oxide while driving, and they found empty canisters of the drug inside her car.
The charges were eventually dropped while the investigation continued.
It remains unclear when her rumored relationship with Lee began, but she previously denied being assaulted by anyone at the party, even assuring her brother that nothing inappropriate took place, according to court documents.
Momeni has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. At the time of his death, Lee had traces of both ketamine and cocaine in his system.
