A California man has been found guilty of first-degree murder for killing his estranged wife, whose corpse he previously admitted to digging up and raping.
In a news release issued on Friday (Nov. 21), the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced the conviction of 28-year-old Zarbab Ali, who was first charged in the case in 2022.
The jury found Ali guilty in the murder of Rachel Castillo, use of a deadly weapon, and murder by means of lying in wait. Before his trial, Ali pleaded guilty to sexual contact with the victim’s remains. He now faces a mandatory life sentence, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for Jan. 12.
“Our thoughts are with Rachel’s family, who have endured unimaginable pain since the day she was taken from them,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney David Russell, who prosecuted the case. “I am thankful for the outstanding efforts of law enforcement, whose investigation made this verdict possible. 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.”
According to a timeline given by prosecutors, Castillo’s sister called 911 on Nov. 10, 2022, after observing “signs of a violent attack” at her Simi Valley apartment. Castillo’s phone, keys, and car had been left at the scene.
On Nov. 13, Castillo’s body was found “in a remote desert area” near Littlerock, California, resulting in Ali’s arrest later that same day. At the time, Castillo, who shared children with Ali, was nearing the conclusion of a divorce from the defendant.
“This was a senseless and brutal killing that shocked our community,” Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko previously said of the murder.
At trial, per the Ventura County Star, a Simi Valley Police Department detective testified about a series of interviews he and another detective conducted with Ali.
During one of those interviews, Ali allegedly admitted to the murder, saying he stabbed Castillo multiple times with a kitchen knife. He then wrapped the victim’s body in a blanket, later burying it in a shallow grave. The following day, however, he dug up the body.
“Just to confirm that I am a monster, I raped her,” Ali was quoted as saying in an interview with detectives.
