SAN DIEGO (Court TV) — A former social media star was sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars without the possibility of parole for the brutal murders of his wife and her friend.
Ali Abulaban reads from a paper as he addresses the Court during his sentencing hearing on Sept. 6, 2024. (Court TV)
Ali Abulaban was convicted of first-degree murder for shooting his wife, Ana Abulaban, and her friend, Rayburn Barron. While he had never denied pulling the trigger and killing the victims , Ali had argued that he had acted in the heat of passion after discovering his wife was having an extramarital relationship.
There were multiple emotional outbursts in court — the first coming minutes into the hearing as the defense presented its motion for a new trial. Someone yelled an expletive, forcing Judge Jeffrey Fraser to pause proceedings and admonish the courtroom. He addressed Ali directly, who denied being the source of the commotion. When the judge handed down the life sentences and announced they would be served concurrently, cheers and applause erupted from the gallery.
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Ana’s sister became emotional and screamed at Ali as she delivered a victim impact statement, addressing him directly to say, “If I had known what my sister had been through … I would have flown again to see her and done my best to take her away from you.”
Judge Fraser addressed the victims’ families directly during their impact statements: “The sentence today does not reflect your love for them or their value as human beings. It’s society’s only way to punish people who have done wrong but it cannot restore their lives.”
Ali’s defense told the court they “still believe Mr. Abulaban was acting under the heat of passion when he committed the crimes that he did.” Ali reiterated that when he addressed the court during sentencing. Turning to face the gallery, Ali apologized multiple times. “I am so incredibly sorry to each and every one of you who has been affected by this,” he said. “I cannot imagine the pain I have caused your family. I saw the pain and the tears in each of your eyes and I hate that I’m the reason for it.”
Ali, like his attorneys, emphasized that he was suffering from “a severe, untreated mental illness” and a crippling addiction to cocaine at the time of the murders, which he called “an unintended, impulsive reaction. … It’s truly unfortunate, despite the overwhelming evidence that this was a crime of passion, that the jury still landed on this verdict,” Ali said, questioning the length of time the jury deliberated.
Ali broke down in tears addressing his daughter. “I’m sorry for what my foolish actions have cost you, for what’s been taken from you. But that is why I will work to better myself … and hopefully come home one day to you.”
READ MORE | ‘I’m shooting and I can’t stop’: TikTok star Ali Abulaban takes the stand
Ali pleaded with the judge to offer him the chance of parole: ”Being sent to prison forever feels like I’m being sent to hell and I don’t think that’s fair.”
Judge Fraser responded saying, “As a matter of law, the defendant is ineligible for probation. But if he was eligible, the court would not give him probation.” The judge called Ali a “very talented actor” who committed a “cold-blooded killing without remorse” and only cried because he “fears the consequences of his actions.”
In addition to the two life sentences, to be served consecutively, Judge Fraser sentenced Ali to an additional 50 years to life for gun enhancements.
Ali was initially scheduled to be sentenced in June, but the hearing was delayed after his attorney requested additional preparation time. At the June hearing, an attorney representing Barron’s family revealed that Ali had continued to post on social media while behind bars. The judge told the family he was powerless to stop Ali from posting and deferred the issue to the sheriff’s office.
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