Defense witness helped Nima Momeni case, analyst says

SanFrancisco – Defense witness Aranza Villegas was a powerful witness for the prosecution in the Nima Momeni murder trial in San Francisco on Tuesday.

Villegas, who was with Momeni’s sister Khazar in the hours before Cash App founder Bob Lee was fatally stabbed, said that although both he and Khazar felt ill after taking drugs provided by Lee’s alleged dealer, the dealer had no contact with the women. He says he did not commit any sexual harassment.

Authorities said the defendant killed Lee, believing Momeni’s sister had been abused and given too much drugs by Lee’s dealer. The defense said that Lee was the aggressor and was armed with a knife, and that their client took the knife and stabbed Lee in self-defense.

The defendant’s sister said the alleged dealer slapped her on the back and pulled down her pants after giving her too much drugs.

However, during the prosecutor’s cross-examination, Villegas stated that the seller only helped Hazar change. Villegas also admitted that Hazar has a tendency to embellish things from time to time.

“The defense fell into its own trap by introducing this witness, because this witness gave testimony that was very helpful to the government, and they eviscerated Hazar’s testimony by saying that he exaggerated some of the things he testified to, which he actually didn’t do,” KTVU legal analyst Michael Cardoza said. he said.

But outside court, defense attorney Bradford Cohen rejected any suggestion that Villegas was undermining the defense.

“At the end of the day, when there’s closure, you’ll see how each piece of the puzzle fits together. As you sit here and watch each witness take the stand, you may not understand what they do, why they’re at the scene. Stand up,” Cohen said. “You’ll see at the closing.”

The jury also heard Tuesday from pathologist retained by the defense, Dr. He also listened to John Marracini. He said some of the injuries Lee suffered may have been the result of Momeni’s self-defense.

Marraccini also testified that Lee’s autopsy showed he had alcohol, cocaine and ketamine in his system, which could have reduced his sensitivity to pain and altered his predictability.

Under cross-examination by the prosecution, Marraccini acknowledged that other scenarios were possible besides the one presented by the defence. He pointed out some inconsistencies and said at one point: “This is an issue that I hope the jury can resolve.”

The defense’s case continues this week.

Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. Email Henry at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan