Zarbab Ali, 28, was convicted of first-degree murder for killing his estranged wife, Rachel Castillo, 25, in Simi Valley, California, in November 2022. The crime occurred as the couple finalized their divorce. Ali confessed to stabbing Castillo to death, burying her body in a shallow grave, and later exhuming it to commit sexual acts on her corpse. He admitted to hiding inside Castillo’s darkened apartment before ambushing her and stabbing her repeatedly in the chest. After wrapping her lifeless body in a blanket, he attempted to clean up the scene and buried her remains in a remote desert location. Disturbingly, Ali returned in the middle of the night to dig up her body and commit further crimes. In a police interview, he confessed, “Just to confirm that I am a monster, I rape her.”
During the trial, Ali attempted to justify his actions by claiming he was driven by anger over his wife’s alleged infidelity and her refusal to let him move on. “This is the only way I could escape,” he stated, adding, “I wanted her dead. I was angry that she just wouldn’t let me move on.”
Prosecutors revealed Castillo was on the verge of finalizing her divorce when she was brutally attacked. Ventura County District Attorney David Russell commended law enforcement for their efforts in securing the conviction, stating, “ Our thoughts are with Rachel’s family, who have endured unimaginable pain since the day she was taken from them. While nothing can restore what her loved ones have lost, this conviction ensures the defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison and that the community will be protected from him forever.”
Ali faces life imprisonment for his crimes, with sentencing scheduled for January 12.
Shocking Murder Case: Man Admits to Rape and Homicide in Divorce Finalization
