Following weeks of testimony in the trial of a former TikTok star accused of killing his estranged wife and her friend, a California jury is still deliberating on Tuesday, May 28th.
In connection with the murders of Ana Abulaban, 28, and Rayburn Barron, 29, that occurred on October 21, 2021, Ali Abulaban, 31, is accused of two counts of first-degree murder. In the San Diego high-rise apartment that Ali and Ana Abulaban shared, the two were tragically and fatally shot in the face.
Although Ali Abulaban entered a plea of not guilty to the first-degree murder charges, he acknowledged the killings. According to his testimony, he "snapped" and was unable to stop himself.
"My gun was in my hand and next thing I'm shooting and I can't stop. I'm just shooting," Abulaban sobbed during his testimony. He stated that he thought his wife was cheating on him and he felt "betrayed."
"I was trying to believe her," Abulaban said. "I was trying to believe that she wasn't cheating on me that she would let me fix this because I was sick. I was struggling from drugs and mental illness. And I f****d up a lot but I was trying to fix it."
Because of alleged domestic abuse in the past, Abulaban's wife filed a restraining order against him. When the killings occurred, he was residing in a motel.
Ali Abulaban was characterized by Taren Brast, the deputy district attorney, as "jealous, controlling, and violent" against his spouse. Jodi Green, Abulaban's lawyer, contended that the violence he endured as a child might have influenced his perspective on relationships.
Ali Abulaban used a duplicate key to enter the apartment building the morning before the deadly incident. According to reports, he smashed things, threw Ana Abulaban's clothes down the trash chute, and put a listening software on their daughter's iPad, who is five years old.
He could listen in on conversations taking place in the residence remotely through an app. He allegedly drove back to the apartment and then killed his estranged wife and her friend because he became enraged at their laughter.
Evidence from security camera footage was shown in court after it was acquired from a neighbor. Six gunshots are audible as it shows Ali Abulaban entering the apartment. Ali Abulaban can be heard screaming Ana's name and calling his mother on the phone to admit what he did.
His mother, Dalal Warra, said during the trial that her son had called her following the shooting and sent a picture of the victims' bodies.
When she got the picture, she immediately deleted it and recalled telling him "That's not funny, Ali. Don't say that."
Ana Abulaban, left, and Rayburn Barron.Photo byGoFundMe
In voicemails left for Ana Abulaban prior to the killings, Ali Abulaban boasted about his status as a "internet celebrity."
"I can't wait to divorce you so I can start my new life," he said in a voicemail.
Ali Abulaban uploaded content regularly and was known for comedic skits on TikTok using the handle "JinnKid." On the platform, he had around a million followers.
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