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The conviction of Zarbab Ali has brought legal closure to one of the most disturbing murder cases to emerge from Southern California in recent years. A Ventura County jury found Zarbab Ali, 28, guilty of first-degree murder for the 2022 killing of his estranged wife, Rachel Castillo, a crime that prosecutors described as premeditated and exceptionally depraved.

According to a news release from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, the jury returned its verdict on Nov. 21, convicting Ali in the fatal stabbing of Castillo, 25.

He now faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Ali had previously pleaded guilty to a separate felony charge involving sexual contact with Castillo’s remains after her death.

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       A Disappearance That Triggered Alarm

At the time of the killing, Ali and Castillo were in the process of divorcing. Castillo was last seen on Nov. 10, 2022, after dropping the couple’s two children off with Ali for the day, according to reporting from KTTV. Castillo lived in Simi Valley, California, with her sister.

When Castillo did not return home, her sister discovered what investigators later described as a crime scene: a large quantity of blood inside the apartment, along with Castillo’s keys, car, and cellphone. Authorities were alerted immediately, launching a multi-agency investigation.

       Zarbab Ali Confession and Conviction

 On Nov. 13, 2022, FBI agents and Simi Valley Police located Castillo’s body buried in a shallow grave in a remote desert area of Antelope Valley. Ali was arrested later that same day outside his parents’ home in Victorville, California, according to the district attorney.

During multiple interviews with detectives, Ali confessed to the killing, the Ventura County Star reported. He told investigators that after dropping off the children with his parents, he went to Castillo’s apartment, found the door unlocked, and waited inside.

Ali admitted he stabbed Castillo three times when she entered her bedroom. He then wrapped her body in a blanket and buried her in a remote location. The following day, he returned to the grave, dug up her body, and raped her remains.

In a taped interview obtained by the Ventura County Star, Ali made a statement that jurors later heard during the trial: “If I didn’t commit to being a monster, then she would have died for no reason. I am a monster.”

       Zarbab Ali Motive and Obsessive Jealousy

Prosecutors said Ali told detectives he was motivated by jealousy over Castillo’s relationships with other men and anger over their custody arrangement and child support obligations. He also expressed dissatisfaction with his living situation following the separation.

Castillo, meanwhile, was described by family members as a devoted mother with a promising future. At the time of her death, she was studying for a master’s degree in clinical psychology and planned to become a marriage and family therapist, according to KTTV.

Ali’s sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2026. The case has drawn national attention, with coverage from outlets including People magazine, which detailed the jury’s verdict and Ali’s confession, and the New York Post, which highlighted the shocking nature of the crime and Ali’s own words describing himself as a “monster.”

Related Coverage

• Man killed estranged wife and buried body – then dug up remains and did the unthinkable: ‘I am a monster’ — People
• Depraved sicko admits he murdered estranged wife, buried her body — then dug it up to rape her corpse — New York Post