Undecided jury to stay past trial end-date

By Thursday afternoon, six days into jury deliberations, tensions appeared to be rising among the jurors struggling to reach a verdict in the murder trial of Nima Momeni, the accused killer of Cash App founder Bob Lee.

Today was the last day the jury was “hardshipped,” meaning jurors were expected to stay through today, but could opt to leave the deliberations if they have prior obligations after today. So far, none have opted to do so, and all jurors are expected to return on Monday.  

But Momeni’s attorneys, most of whom are from Florida, have been dropping off as deliberations have gone longer than anticipated. Brad Cohen and Mike McMullen already left town after last week. And today, lead attorney Saam Zangeneh said he will be returning to Miami to spend time with his family for the holidays. 

The usually cheerful and chummy six men and six women on the jury appeared progressively more serious on Wednesday and Thursday as they came and went from the deliberation room. One juror was seen pensively wringing his hands for an entire hour-long afternoon break in the hallway. At one point, he appeared to wipe away tears.

Other jurors could be seen hugging or patting others’ backs, as if in solidarity or for reassurance. 

Momeni is charged with murder in Lee’s stabbing death in April 2023. During his seven-week trial that started on Oct. 14, prosecutors showed evidence to suggest that Momeni planned to commit murder to avenge a perceived impropriety with his sister, Khazar. According to the prosecution, the knife, which was the same brand as those in Khazar’s kitchen, was evidence that the attack was premeditated, and DNA on the knife handle incriminated Momeni. 

When he took the witness stand, Momeni revealed for the first time that he stabbed Lee in self-defense, after Lee attacked Momeni with a knife over a “bad joke.” A video shown for the first time at the end of the trial showed Lee, hours before the stabbing, snorting a substance over a long instrument that Momeni’s defense attorney said was the knife.  

“They’re clearly not in agreement,” Zangeneh said of the jury. “At some point jurors are gonna be like, ‘Yo, it’s not gonna work’ … you don’t deliberate forever.” 

Zangeneh and prosecutors returned to the courtroom multiple times today, indicating jurors may have had questions for the judge or attorneys. What those questions were, is unclear. 

Zangeneh said he has never had murder trial jury deliberations last more than two days, and called the waiting a “stressful situation.” But he said he “would hate for this to come to a mistrial after all this hard work,” and the “emotional trauma” both sides have endured. 

If Momeni is convicted of murder, he could face up to life in prison. But if he is convicted of voluntary manslaughter, he would serve three to 11 years, or only up to four years for involuntary manslaughter.  

If the jury cannot reach a unanimous verdict, the judge will declare a mistrial and prosecutors could choose to retry the case. 

“They’re going to deliberate for as long as it takes until they make a decision, or they don’t make a decision,” Zangeneh said. “You never know.”