Update: Grim new details surface about fatal San Francisco stabbing of tech exec Bob Lee – CBS San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco police have released very limited information regarding the deadly stabbing that left MobileCoin CPO Bob Lee bleeding on the sidewalk early Tuesday, but some details about the fatal attack have surfaced.

Officers responded to the 300 block of Main Street in the city’s Rincon Hill neighborhood shortly after 2:30 a.m. Tuesday morning after a report of a stabbing, police said in their official release that came out Wednesday evening.

READ MORE: Memorials, anxiety grow at S.F. Rincon Hill site of tech executive Bob Lee’s deadly stabbing

According to the San Francisco Standard, Lee can be heard screaming “Help! Someone stabbed me!” in the audio of the 911 call he made with his cell phone prior to officers arriving. The San Francisco Standard also reported that Lee could be seen in surveillance video from an area building walking west up Main Street after being mortally injured. The video reportedly showed him walking up to a parked car that had its hazard lights on and lifting his shirt — apparently to show his wound as he asked for help — before the vehicle drove away.

READ MORE: Slaying of tech exec Bob Lee heightens vigilance in San Francisco’s East Cut neighborhood

The security camera video showed him walking toward the Portside condo complex and collapsing less than 20 feet from the front door after the car drove off. Officers arrived and located the stabbing victim, who was later identified as the 43-year-old founder of Cash App and former CEO of Square. Officers began life-saving aid until medics arrived; Lee died of his injuries at the hospital.

Police and the city’s medical examiner’s office did not initially identify Lee Tuesday evening. Friends and co-workers of confirmed Lee’s death as did MobileCoin, the San Francisco-based cryptocurrency startup.

Lee had moved to Miami late last year but was in town for the MobileCoin leadership summit last week, and was staying a few nights extra to see friends. His father, Rick Lee, posted on social media that the two had been living in the San Francisco suburb of Mill Valley.

“Life has been an adventure with two bachelors living together, and I’m so happy that we were able to become so close these last years. Bob would give you the shirt off his back,” the post read in part. “He would never look down on anyone and adhered to a strict no-judgment philosophy. Bobby worked harder than anyone and was the smartest person I have ever known. He will be missed by all those that knew him.”

San Francisco Crime: 

San Francisco has been grappling with an apparent uptick in crime as it still attempts to bounce back from the pandemic. Preliminary police data reports 12 homicides in San Francisco this year, an uptick of 20% compared to the same time period in the previous year. In total, there were 56 homicides in San Francisco in 2022, which is the exact same number of homicides the city saw in 2021.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott released a statement Wednesday evening, offering his condolences to Lee’s family and assuring “everyone that our investigators are working tirelessly to make an arrest and bring justice to Mr. Lee and his loved ones, just as we do on every homicide that occurs in our city.”

He also noted that because the investigation was in the early stages, police would not be able to comment on the evidence in the case or speculate on the circumstances of the crime.  

An update offered by the department Thursday afternoon was essentially unchanged, though the video post by Sgt. Adam Lobsinger assured residents that the resources focused investigation would not impede the ability of police to respond to all calls for service.

The fatal stabbing sent shockwaves through San Francisco’s East Cut, which also includes the area known as Rincon Hill. 

Tracy McCray, the vice president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, says violent crime of this nature is unusual for the East Cut neighborhood, but adds it could happen anywhere. 

Officers of the Southern Station are stretched thin as the SFPD faces severe staffing shortages, adding to the complexity of the investigation. 

“They’re short staffed. And I think people forget that the southern district is also responsible for Treasure Island, so they have a much larger footprint, doing more with less,” McCray said. 

There was a growing memorial paying tribute to Lee where the deadly crime unfolded near the intersection of Harrison and Main.

Chris Heimbuch worked with Lee and stopped by to drop off flowers and a handwritten note.

“That smile will stay with me forever,” Heimbuch said.

Because of this tragedy, Heimbuch says the world has lost a great leader in the tech industry but, most importantly, a loving dad, son and brother.

“This is an emergency that’s reached a point to — what else is this going to take? And I’m not talking about this horrible murder. It happens everywhere, all over the city,” Heimbuch said.