October 21st, 2021. Surveillance cameras capture 29-year-old Ali Abulaban stepping into the elevator of a luxury high-rise in San Diego. He’s wearing a black hoodie. His face is calm. A loaded handgun sits in a holster. He presses the button for the 35th floor. A few minutes later, he steps out and suddenly breaks into a run down the hallway.
He unlocks the apartment door using a copied key. Inside are his wife, Anna, and her friend, Ray. What happens next unfolds in seconds. The first shots hit Ray in the head. Another one strikes his throat. He collapses to the floor. Anna is standing right there. She doesn’t have time to run.
Ali turns toward her, looks straight into her eyes, and pulls the trigger. Both of them are left lying inside the apartment, but he doesn’t stop there. He takes out his phone, snaps photos of the bodies, and sends them to his parents and friends. Then, he calmly walks out of the apartment, gets back into the elevator with other residents, like nothing ever happened.
About 20 minutes later, he calls 911. He says he just found his wife dead. And he thinks he’s going to get away with it. What he doesn’t realize is that every single step has already been recorded, and now the hunt begins to catch this cold-blooded TikTok killer. Hey guys, let me grab you for just a second. I’m really curious where my audience is watching from, so I’d love for you to drop a comment and tell me what city you’re in and what time it is for you right now.
Thanks for taking a moment. Go ahead and share that in the comments, and now let’s keep going. Dispatchers in San Diego receive a disturbing call from the Spire luxury apartments in the heart of downtown. On the line is Anna Abulaban, reporting that her husband, Ali Abulaban, has been violent toward her. San Diego Emergency, this is dispatcher 8854.
Can you please um send the police on 1475 Island Avenue? Okay, what is your name? My name is Anna Abulaban. Are you having a fight with a spouse or a boyfriend? Yes. Yes. And it’s it’s physical. Yes, he did. Has he taken off cardiac? Is that why you’re having a fight or Yes. I’m still here. I’m waiting for someone to be assigned. Are you okay? Yeah, I’m okay.
Yeah, just don’t say anything to him that way there he doesn’t flare up again. Oh, great. You’re on the phone with the police while I said that? Wow. I thought you were done with the phone call. Okay, great. Are we on speaker? Yes, you are. Can you take me off of speaker, please? Yes. Ali, after the call, the first responders arrive at their apartment.
San Diego Police Department. Yes, I’m here. I think he just left the house. He just left? Is it just you? It’s just me and my daughter’s here. Anna Abulaban is on the phone with dispatch asking for help. Ali Abulaban goes live on TikTok, mocking her situation and trying to paint himself as the victim. I’ll bring you to San Diego for what? So you can run to your friends? You’re not even an American citizen.
I brought you to this country. Name one man that would do that for you. Ali Abulaban realizes that Anna Abulaban has called 911 and officers are already on their way. He leaves the apartment still ranting about her as he continues the live stream. Oh, hello. Yes. My father owns a shop. It’s not much, but it gets us by.
Would you like to get married? I’ve never been asked before. Sure. How wonderful. Bye-bye. Till next time. Hm? Need something? He explains to the During the fight, Ali Abulaban lost control and pushed her. She fell, scraped her knee, and hit her head on the bed. The officer documents her injuries, takes photos of the apartment, and tells her she can file for a restraining order.
Anna decides not to do it. Over the past few months, their relationship had been getting more and more toxic and aggressive, but it wasn’t always like that. Anna Marie, originally from the Philippines but raised in Okinawa, had built a small following on social media, especially on Instagram. She often appeared in Ali’s videos, usually alongside his growing online persona.
Hello there. Yes. Why are you smiling? Need something? [laughter] Never should have come here. [screaming and groaning] [screaming] Ali Abulaban grew up between New York and Virginia, and later enlisted in the United States Air Force. His service took him overseas, and it was during that time that he met Anna Abulaban.
They first crossed paths in 2014 when they were both in Okinawa, where Ali was stationed. A relationship quickly developed, and before long, they got married. A few years later, they welcomed a daughter. For a while, their life looked like a stable military family. After finishing his service in the Air Force, the couple returned to the United States and eventually settled in San Diego.
Okay. What can I get? Hey, handsome. What the [ __ ] you talking? Uh sorry, man. Uh I’ll have a venti dolce caramel macchiato with no ice. What the [ __ ] is wrong with this guy, man? You kidding me or what? Speak English when you talk to me, okay? That was English. Uh I’ll have a venti caramel dolce What the [ __ ] you talking, man? A venti. What is that? A large.
So say that next time, okay? Frappe venti cappuccino. Around late 2019, Ali Abulaban launches his online persona, Jin Kid. His videos quickly start gaining traction, especially his live-action takes on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and his parodies of Tony Montana from Scarface. He leans heavily into sketch comedy, building out characters with a lot of dramatic flair.
DO YOU WANT OKAY. GOD, OKAY. DO YOU WANT MY ADDRESS? OKAY. I believe you. DO YOU WANT MY ADDRESS? OKAY. WHAT THE [ __ ] IS MY ADDRESS? TINA. TINA. WHAT THE [ __ ] IS MY ADDRESS? CHECK THE CLOSET. WHAT IS I SLEEP IN THE SAME PLACE EVERY [ __ ] NIGHT, MAN. WHAT THE [ __ ] IS MY ADDRESS? What the [ __ ] is my address? Okay, I believe you.
It’s in the closet, Tina. IS IT THERE? NO. STOP [ __ ] WITH ME. ALL RIGHT, my wife is going to show you everything. Follower count starts climbing fast. He builds up nearly 940,000 followers on TikTok and gains strong support across other platforms as well. He creates short sketches, does character voices, stages fight scenes, and leans into exaggerated reactions.
She don’t think. She don’t think. She don’t think. And you know what? Goodbye to your little citizenship there, Miss Filipino. But I’m not I’m not petty. I don’t I don’t call the police on people I love. That ain’t it, bro. This lured me to San Diego for what? So she could be a hoe with all her friends? Stop lying to them, Ali.
No, it’s the truth. Yeah, you got friends now. Now you don’t have a husband. Okay. would show up in his content from time to time. In some videos, she played along with Ali’s jokes, and in others she appeared with their daughter in family clips. On social media, they looked like a couple living the high life in a luxury high-rise in San Diego, showing off success, family, and humor.
But even as Ali Abulaban’s online career seemed to be taking off, the marriage between him and Anna Abulaban was falling apart. He became increasingly jealous and controlling, shifting from a loving husband into someone who constantly put her down. He started regularly posting angry videos about her on TikTok, recording their arguments, and publicly lashing out, pulling Anna into a non-stop cycle of toxicity and emotional abuse.
By 2021, the tension between them was no longer hidden. Police records show the conflicts were escalating. Friends and neighbors talked about frequent arguments in the apartment, and Anna admitted she was worried about Ali’s behavior and personality. The situation reached a breaking point on September 1st, 2021, when, as mentioned earlier, Anna called 911 to report violence.
During this same period, Ali also began accusing Anna of cheating, even though he himself was involved with other women. He didn’t allow her the same freedom, and during public live streams, he would explode in anger and humiliate her. You ever look at your person and think to yourself, “Wow, how did I land you?” also starts recording her without her consent.
In just 3 months, from July through October 2021, multiple calls come in reporting violence at their home, but none of them lead to Ali Abulaban being arrested. Most of the calls are made by concerned neighbors and people who know the couple, worried that these violent arguments could turn into something far worse.
No one realizes that these calls are only the beginning of a chain of events that will soon lead to a horrifying outcome. And despite all of this, Ali keeps building his online presence. He continues posting funny sketches, including parodies of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Scarface, and often features Anna Abulaban on social media.
On the surface, they still look like the perfect couple. Hey, Anna. Um just want to say good morning. Good morning to Amira. Um I just figured instead of texting you, I’ll send you a video. My intention here is to just let you know I get it. And I’m so sorry. I really am so sorry for what I’ve put you through. How stupid.
What happened to me? It was the drugs. Behind the scenes, everything is falling apart. His content starts revealing more and more of their personal issues, and that need for control turns into something he puts on display for everyone to see. I’m a healthy man. I listen to you. I try to work with you. Huh? The door’s right there. The door’s right there.
A billion other women out there for you that will [ __ ] you in a heartbeat. Yeah, a billion other men for you, too. Is that your hope? What? [ __ ] You can’t this relationship. What do you give me, Anna? Nothing. When’s the last time you pleased me? [clears throat] Enough is enough. Enough is enough.
Enough is enough. There’s no way that you’re not [ __ ] somebody. Oh, you’re There’s no way. While Anna Abulaban starts to feel completely cornered, she tries to distance herself, begins talking about getting a restraining order, and even threatens Ali Abulaban with divorce. By October 2021, police have already responded to multiple calls at their home.
But each time, Ali either apologizes or shifts the blame, and nothing really moves forward. The same pattern keeps repeating: jealousy, public humiliation of Anna, secret monitoring and stalking. She wants to leave me after 7 years. She couldn’t even wait for the visa to finish. That just means I don’t need your visa.
That’s not what I came here for. I came here to do This was your plan all along, Anna. You used me. You [ __ ] call the cops on me behind my back? How evil is that? Anna, how evil is that? I don’t know who you’re trying to show that video to. How evil is that? Are you showing the police? No, I just can’t believe it. Because I’m going to watch this later.
following that September call, things only get worse. Ali Abulaban’s behavior spirals even further out of control. Friends say he’s openly using cocaine, and his jealousy intensifies. He doesn’t want Anna Abulaban spending time with friends or being around other men. Look at me in the face and tell me you don’t love me.
I don’t love you. Look at me. I don’t love you. Hm? I don’t love you. Sorry. Throughout the entire argument, Anna Abulaban deliberately avoids eye contact, keeping her composure. She clearly understands that Ali Abulaban is trying to provoke an emotional reaction, but she doesn’t give him that satisfaction. Look at me in the face and tell me you don’t love me.
I don’t love you. Look at me. I don’t love you. Hm? [clears throat] I don’t love you. Sorry. After that, Anna Abulaban calls Ali Abulaban’s mother, opening up about her concerns over his increasingly disturbing behavior. I told you to leave. Why do I need my mom? I just need him to leave cuz he’s Why do you always fall back to him? Yeah, what do you want me to do? Put him in jail? I’m not trying to put him in jail.
I’m trying to remove him from MY HOUSE. WELL, WHATEVER IT TAKES. IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER, put him in jail. She’s not in danger. What the [ __ ] YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE I’M SOME MONSTER? Amira’s right here. Open the marriage. This is your daughter is suffering. Ali Abulaban’s mother understands that he hasn’t been a good husband, and that the marriage is falling apart.
Now, what worries her most is the well-being of her granddaughter, who is suffering because of it. She’s not even giving me a chance to [ __ ] to get my marriage back. he have a chance when he does cocaine every night, though? He lies and says he’s going to stop doing it. Ali, you need to walk away. Please, come here.
I don’t want to lose my wife. If another man touches her, I’m going to go crazy. Jealousy starts turning into control as Ali Abulaban accuses Anna Abulaban of cheating during their arguments. Enough. Ali, enough. You know Can somebody please help me? Hello? Ali. Stop. Give me the phone. Where is my finger? I want to leave this house.
Yeah, that’s not cool. Give me my phone. With a bunch of guys? Give me my phone. Bunch of guys, huh? Give me my phone. There’s no guys. Give me my phone. At one point, while their child was asleep in the room, Ali Abulaban, under the influence of cocaine, put a gun to his own head in an attempt to get Anna Abulaban’s attention.
She’s calling the cops. Yeah, cuz he just tried to commit So, that’s what it is. He had a gun in his face with my daughter sleeping on the couch. I had to do that just to get her to come home. getting ready to go to a friend’s birthday, but Ali Abulaban won’t let her. Consumed by jealousy, he sees every person around her as a potential rival.
Give me my phone back. Ali, give me my phone back. Amira got Marquis. That’s the place to have the birthday. Yeah. Oh, so you’re going? doesn’t stop there. Ali Abulaban’s aggression only escalates as the argument continues. Who’s going to be there? I told you we’re going to a hotel. YEAH, THIS IS THE AFTER PARTY, AND YOU’RE GOING. I’M NOT THERE.
YEAH? WHY DO YOU THINK I CAN BRING A KID? YEAH? Cuz nobody’s there but girls. You stupid Eventually, Anna Abulaban breaks down and starts crying. Ali Abulaban tries to apologize, but by then, it’s already too late. When’s the last time you Tell me something. Put me in my life. So, how do I change that? You don’t make me happy.
You just make everything worse. I’m sorry, Anna. You complain about everything. Nothing ever makes you happy. This is why we’re losing EVERYTHING CUZ YOU COMPLAIN. ABOUT EVERYTHING GOOD THAT HAPPENS TO US, YOU COMPLAIN. Everything is negative. I’m sorry, Anna. I’m [snorts] sorry, babe. Eventually, Anna Abulaban calls 911 again, and officers arrive quickly.
Just before they enter the apartment, Ali Abulaban rushes to brush his teeth, trying to hide the smell of alcohol. When they come inside, he immediately slips into the role of a caring husband. This time, Ali Abulaban believes he can outsmart everyone, but his marriage is already effectively over. Anna Abulaban clearly understands how serious everything has become, and for her, it only confirms what she has feared for a long time, that home is no longer a safe place.
She tells him she wants a divorce, and this time it’s not just words. It’s her final decision. She tells him it’s over. He had been involved with another woman, and she can’t forgive that. After the breakup, Anna begins seeing another man, 29-year-old Rayburn Barron. He had been a long-time friend, someone who supported her through all the arguments.
Ali, of course, never liked him. He felt that Rayburn wanted to be with Anna, but unlike Ali, Rayburn was caring, family-oriented, and would never hurt her. And Ali can’t accept that. He moves into a nearby hotel, but keeps inserting himself into her life, calling, texting, trying to convince her they can go back to how things were.
Anna worries she could lose her visa if she leaves him, and that she might lose custody of her daughter. But despite that, she starts making a plan to get out. Meanwhile, Ali stays in denial. From the hotel, he acts like this is just a temporary break, posting online, talking to friends, insisting Anna is wrong.
Even though he’s physically gone, he comes up with a disturbing plan to monitor her and look for any sign of what she’s doing without him. He researches surveillance methods, listening devices, remote monitoring, and installing apps on an iPad. After digging into it, he decides to use Discord to spy on his wife.
Through their young daughter’s iPad, he sets up a hidden way to listen in, turning a device meant for games and cartoons into a tool for surveillance. He secretly installs what prosecutors will later call a baby monitor app. The device is left under the bed in the apartment, quietly transmitting audio back to wherever he is.
From his hotel room, he can hear what’s happening inside Anna’s home. Even though they’re no longer together, he wants to know if she’s being faithful to him. He listens constantly, searching for any sign of betrayal. As a result, Anna faced harassment from strangers who believed his version of events. Later that afternoon on October 21st, Ali listens in on his wife’s apartment through the hidden app connected to their daughter’s iPad.
He hears multiple voices. One of them is Anna. The other is her friend, Rayburn. Ali convinces himself he knows exactly what’s going on, and he’s consumed by rage. Armed with a gun and under the influence of cocaine, he leaves the hotel and heads to the Spire Luxury Apartments, where Anna lives with their daughter. This time, the child is at school, and Anna has no idea he’s coming.
Around 2:50 p.m., security cameras capture him entering the building’s parking garage. Moments later, he’s seen running out, then coming back again, adjusting the holster on his belt. As he walks into the building, he starts recording audio on his phone and slips it into his pocket. With the recording running, he gets into the elevator.
On camera, he looks calm. His face almost completely emotionless, like nothing is wrong. A loose black hoodie hides the weapon in his holster. Using a copied access key from Anna, he presses the button for the 35th floor and rides up. The elevator trip takes only a few minutes, and during that time, he even exchanges a couple of normal words and a quick smile with neighbors.
When the doors open on the 35th floor, he suddenly breaks into a run down the hallway toward his wife’s apartment. He reaches the door, unlocks it with a copy of the key he still has, and walks inside. In the apartment, Anna and Rayburn are together. The confrontation lasts only seconds. Ali raises the gun and quickly fires at Rayburn.
The first two shots hit his head. The third strikes his throat, and he collapses to the floor, dead. Anna stands nearby, frozen in shock. She has no chance to escape. The man she once loved has become someone she no longer recognizes. After firing three shots at Rayburn, Ali turns toward her, looks straight into her eyes, and shoots her in the forehead.
So, our our concern was if there’s any violence Sir, was there any violence tonight? No, no, sir. I’m new here to this country. I’m on a visa. She’s Filipino, man. I did everything for her. We lived in Virginia. I worked for the government. Our life was set. Set. I have friends here. She’s got friends here that she grew up with. Her lifestyle’s up there.
I believe she called up because she was trying to get me to leave tonight. So, somebody has to be the bigger person. What you don’t want to happen is she alleges that you hit her, and we have to arrest you, and now you have a a arrest Isn’t that [ __ ] up? It’s a woman’s world, man. I gave her everything for two I brought her to this country.
And now some other fool’s going to be touching my woman? I don’t think so. Yeah, so only you know what’s best for for you and your daughter. She said she feels safe with you here. I know. Yeah. So, she’s not going to leave with me then? She would prefer that you weren’t here because she’s afraid. Inside the apartment, Ali Abulaban pulls out his phone again.
This time, he’s not recording audio. He takes photos of the scene, pictures of Rayburn Baron and Anna Abulaban lying on the floor where they were shot. Holding the gun in his hand, he starts sending those photos out. He sends them to his parents and to friends. He seems completely detached from reality, almost like he’s living inside the virtual world of his online persona.
Maybe even seeing himself as a character like Tony Montana from Scarface. Taking those pictures and sending them becomes a chilling climax to everything he’s done. To him, it looks like a victory. After he leaves the apartment, he calls his mother and tells her what he just did. After that, Ali Abulaban rides the elevator again with other residents like nothing ever happened.
He doesn’t call the police from the building. Instead, he heads straight to his car. A few minutes later, he calls 911 trying to sound like someone who has just found his wife dead. After the call, Ali Abulaban immediately drives to his daughter’s school to pick her up while officers rush to Anna Abulaban’s apartment and force their way inside.
San Diego emergency, dispatcher 8107. Yes, ma’am. My wife and another man were I found them dead on the couch. Bullet holes Bullet holes through the face. Wait, someone was shot? Two people, a man and my wife. Yeah, I’m fine. Please help my wife. Please help her, quick. Okay, hold on, sir. She’s dead. Sir, sir, standby.
I’m bringing on my supervisor. What is your name? My name is Ali. Ali? Okay. Yes, I’m her husband. I’m her husband. Tell me what you saw when you went in there. I saw my wife on the couch with blood coming out of her head. Wife is on the And there’s a man there. I don’t know who he is. His name is I mean, I know him. His name is Ray.
I didn’t even I couldn’t even breathe when I saw Officers rush to Anna Abulaban’s apartment and force their way inside. After the call, Ali Abulaban immediately drives to his daughter’s school to pick her up while officers rush to Anna Abulaban’s apartment and force their way inside. We got two down. We got two down. Emergency entry, I need a team.
I need a team. I need a team. Clear that. Someone came here and shot them. That’s the guy that he’s describing. Yeah, she They both took rounds to the head. Do me a favor. Help out with security for us. I don’t want someone coming back, doubling back over here. Okay. And and smoke us, okay? Okay.
seizes Ali Abulaban’s phones, his social media accounts, his car, and the apartment where the murders took place, and all of it becomes key evidence in the case. To piece together the full picture, investigators analyze text messages, audio recordings, and any other details that might be useful. Over the following years, detectives continue building the case while Ali remains in custody.
During that time, he takes an unusual step and gives a television interview about his case. My mother wants to get her out of here. I don’t want anyone else to be in the car with her. Please, you can’t. I’m going to stop him, Jordan. I’ll see you in a What I care about is her safety. We’re going to make I understand. I understand.
We’re going to make sure she’s all right, ma’am. All right, but I I told my mom not to come get her. I’m saying my She’s begging us to try to come get her. Okay. I love you. I love you. I love you, Ali. I love you. I love you. I love you, Ali. Take it softly, Ali. All right? Put everything at his disposal that you still appears emotionally shaken, almost drained by everything that led up to this moment.
Ali Abulaban tries to frame the case as a crime of passion, emphasizing the impulsive and uncontrollable nature of his actions rather than a premeditated killing. His words come across as an attempt to shift how the events are perceived, focusing on emotion instead of the sequence of decisions. He talks about his state of mind as if it were a moment where he lost control, describing it as something sudden and unmanageable.
But at the same time, there’s a tension in the way he tells it, like this version needs constant reinforcement to stay convincing. He admits that he installed an app to monitor his wife, but quickly adds an explanation saying it was done purely for her safety. It’s presented as a justification, an attempt to give his actions a different meaning.
Yet, even in that explanation, there’s a contradiction that only deepens the uneasy atmosphere in the courtroom. Did you kill her? Under the influence of cocaine, Ali Abulaban speeds toward her apartment. His movements feel rushed and sharp, almost driven by an intense nuttiness and the Virginia and the state he’s in. The drive, the decisions, the actions, everything happens fast with no real pause to think.
Using a previously copied access key, he lets himself inside. The moment feels cold and deliberate, like a step he was already prepared to take. No obstacles, no hesitation, just a quick action that opens the door to what comes next. And inside, he sees them together. That scene becomes the point where everything converges into a single moment, sudden, tense, and impossible to take back.
The atmosphere shifts instantly, and the sense of inevitability only grows stronger. So, when you when you heard Rayburn’s voice, you went to But what were you thinking? As you’re driving TO THE APARTMENT WHAT DID YOU THINK? WHAT DID YOU THINK? WHERE HE supposedly discovers his wife’s
body, Ali Abulaban immediately goes to pick up his daughter from school. His actions appear quick and decisive, but there’s a clear tension underneath, like every step is driven by internal pressure. It doesn’t come off as a chaotic reaction, more like a sequence of choices he later tries to explain. He insists it wasn’t about running away.
According to him, the only goal was to get his child somewhere safe, away from any potential danger. In that moment, he presents himself as a father acting on instinct, guided by concern. And while, as he claims, the killer was still out there, his top priority was making sure she was safe.
But there’s a sharp contrast in that version of events. On one side, there’s the image of someone protecting his child. On the other, there are circumstances that already raise serious questions. And it’s that duality that makes the situation even more unsettling, leaving the sense that there may be far more behind his words.
So, the prosecution says that you admitted to your mother that you did this, and then [snorts] you pled not guilty. Can you explain that? Um no, I can’t. I can’t. Again, Ali Abulaban tries to present himself as an innocent man with nothing to hide. His words sound confident, but there’s tension underneath that confidence.
Like it takes constant effort to keep that image in place. He speaks as if every detail has already been thought through. Every emphasis carefully placed to create a specific impression. People in the room are listening closely, but this display of openness doesn’t feel as straightforward as he wants it to seem. And even though friends had repeatedly told him to leave Anna Abulaban, reminding him he could be with anyone, he refused.
For him, this wasn’t just a relationship he could walk away from. In his words, she was the love of his life, the only one, someone he couldn’t let go of even under pressure. That contradiction feels especially sharp. On one side, there’s the advice from those close to him and the clear option to move on. On the other hand, there’s his refusal to let her go.
And it’s in that tension between logic and emotion that a deeper, more unsettling context begins to emerge, intensifying the overall sense that what happened may have felt inevitable. She was with me when I got arrested. Mhm. Did you have a gun in the car? I picked her up from school. So, I dropped her off at a safe location at my dad’s wife’s brother Mum.
who lived an hour away. I believe um surrounded me on the highway. Why did you pick her up? I picked her up. From school, why did you pick her up from school? I wouldn’t have. When I found out my first instinct was to get my daughter for her safety. To drop her off at a safe location. I wasn’t running away.
I wasn’t doing anything. I have nothing to hide. Behavior starts to mirror the same energy seen in his TikTok videos, where Ali Abulaban imitates characters from Scarface and The Godfather. In those roles, there’s always tension, a kind of performative confidence, and a layer of hidden aggression. And those same traits begin to show in the way he carries himself.
It feels like he’s bringing that on-screen persona into real life, repeating familiar tones, gestures, and expressions. His movements seem precise, but at the same time unnaturally rigid, like he’s playing a role he knows too well. Every now and then that same cold tone slips into his voice, the kind associated with those characters.
It doesn’t come across as coincidence. It feels borrowed, almost constructed. And there’s something unsettling about that. The line between performance and reality starts to blur. What once looked like entertainment now takes on a different meaning, more like a reflection of an internal state that no longer feels like an act.
Dude, you got to leave her or you got to leave her. I know I got to leave her, but I don’t WANT TO LEAVE HER. DUDE, YOU’RE SO HANDSOME. YOU’RE FAMOUS ON THE INTERNET. You can get any model. I KNOW I CAN. I DON’T WANT TO. I LOVE MY WIFE. COULD ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANNA? COULD ANYONE else have Anna? Not while she’s married to me.
Years after the murders of Anna Abulaban and Rayburn Barron, the trial finally begins. The time that has passed hasn’t eased the tension. If anything, it feels heavier now. Inside the courtroom, there’s a quiet, controlled anticipation, like everyone understands that what’s coming next won’t be easy to hear.
During the proceedings, prosecutors present another disturbing piece of evidence, material that reveals a new and unsettling layer of the story. It focuses on the days leading up to the crime, when Ali Abulaban sent Anna a series of messages and voice recordings. At first, they may seem like just words, but their content quickly shifts how the situation is understood.
The messages come across as tense and sharp, and with each one, they grow more aggressive. There’s a clear escalation, emotions slipping out of control, a tone that steadily crosses the line. For the jury, these aren’t just fragments of communication. They provide critical context, helping to paint a clearer picture of the atmosphere during those days and the state of mind leading up to the tragedy.
And it’s those details that leave a lingering sense of unease in the courtroom, something that can’t be ignored. I am the best man you ever met. You’re the dumbest I ever [ __ ] devoted my life to. You are the dumbest I wish we never had a kid together because of how stupid you are. She sees the value in me, unlike your dumb And uh I can’t wait to divorce you.
At one point, Ali Abulaban even laughs at those messages, just briefly, nervously, like he’s trying to downplay their importance. But that reaction doesn’t last. Within minutes, something shifts. His expression tightens, his gaze grows heavier, and you can see the realization starting to break through the control he’s trying to maintain.
He becomes visibly uncomfortable, the atmosphere thickens, and unable to handle the pressure, he turns to his attorney and asks for the messages to be turned off. I’m sorry, your What did you WHAT MY MOM DID TO YOU? WHAT ANNA DID TO YOU? MY MOM DID YOU WRONG. I’M SORRY, I’M SORRY, YOUR HONOR. WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOU? YOU DIDN’T DO ANYTHING TO YOU.
YOU DIDN’T DO ANYTHING TO YOU. YOU KNOW ANNA MARIE ABULABAN. ALL RIGHT. THE TRIAL COMES TO AN END. THE JURY HAS A clear understanding of who Ali Abulaban really is. After all the testimony, the questioning, and the intense moments throughout the proceedings, the picture finally comes together. They’ve carefully reviewed the evidence, listened to every detail, and fully examined the history of his relationship with Anna Abulaban.
It’s this full body of facts that allows them to see his character without filters, as it truly is, beyond words and excuses. Everything that once seemed uncertain now becomes clear. The pieces fall into place, and each juror arrives at the same conclusion. There’s a tense anticipation in the room, but the decision is already essentially formed.
With that, after a brief but focused deliberation, the jury returns to the courtroom. Their faces are serious, their movements controlled. And in a silence that seems to close in around the room, they deliver the final verdict, clear, decisive, and leaving no room for doubt. Verdict. We, the jury in the above-entitled cause, find the defendant, Ali Nasser Abulaban, guilty of the crime of murder in the first degree When the verdict is announced, Ali Abulaban can no longer hold back his emotions.
The reality of his fate crashes down on him suddenly and irreversibly, like a wave there’s no escaping. In that moment, everything that happened earlier in the courtroom fades into the background. What remains is the realization, cold, heavy, and final. And for the first time, he fully understands the weight of what he’s now facing, without any illusions or hope that things might change.
His face shifts right in front of everyone. The control he tried to maintain throughout the entire trial disappears. The tension that had been building day after day finally breaks through. Every movement becomes sharper, every emotion more exposed and uncontrolled. The room falls silent again, but this time it feels different, filled with the sense that the end has already arrived.
His desperate attempts to present himself as a devoted husband, to manipulate public opinion and gain sympathy, completely collapse. The image he had been trying to maintain falls apart in an instant. Stripped of that mask, he can no longer hold the role together. All the defenses break down, and he loses control in the courtroom.
No restraint, no composure, no way to take anything back. Probation hearing and sentencing will be on June 28th at 9:00 a.m. in department 2002. All right, you may be seated. Members of the audience, please wait in the hallway. Day of sentencing, just before the judge delivers the final decision, Ali Abulaban reads a letter he has written.
The courtroom is filled with a tense, almost suffocating silence, the kind where every small movement, every breath can be heard. All eyes are on him, and in that moment, even the smallest detail seems to matter. He holds the paper in his hands, and it feels like these words are his last chance to be heard. His voice sounds different, slower, more restrained, with a noticeable strain behind it.
He delivers each sentence carefully, like he’s weighing every word, understanding that this is no longer just an explanation, but the final moment before the sentence is announced. It’s a brief pause before the irreversible. A moment where everything comes together, what’s been said before and what can no longer be changed.
The judge hasn’t spoken yet, but the atmosphere in the room already makes one thing clear, the end is right there. And after this letter, there’s nothing left that could possibly change what comes next. My response in that moment was an unintended, impulsive reaction against my better judgment to the discovery of Ray’s romantic involvement with my wife.
Mhm. And for that, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that in that moment I was not mentally strong enough to control myself. I’m sorry that my horrendous action that day resulted in the undeserved deaths of Rayburn Barron and Anna Marie Abulaban. For three long, exhausting days, Ali Abulaban takes the stand, trying to defend himself under intense, uncompromising cross-examination.
Every question hits like a blow. Every answer feels like an attempt to stay balanced on the edge. The courtroom sits in tense silence, broken only by the voices of the attorneys and the judge. With each passing hour, the atmosphere grows heavier, like the air itself is getting harder to breathe.
Those 3 days feel endless, not just for him, but for everyone watching. His words are carefully weighed, analyzed, and challenged. Every detail is picked apart down to the smallest piece, and nothing goes unnoticed. All eyes stay locked on him, watching every reaction, every movement, as if trying to see what’s hidden beneath the surface.
And now he stands before the court with nothing left to change, nothing left to add. Everything has been said, everything has been heard. The room falls still in anticipation. The tension reaches its peak, where every second feels longer than the last. He waits for the decision that will define the rest of his life, final, irreversible, with no way back.
He’s somebody that is only thinking about himself and the idea of killing two innocent people doesn’t disturb him. It’s chilling. So, the bottom line here is he will die in prison. He will never be a free man. He will take his last breath there. In this , Please. Please. Please. In this matter the defendant on count one will be sentenced to life without the possibility of probation.
In the end, Ali Abulaban faces the outcome of everything that led to this point. After all the events that brought the case here, the court delivers a sentence that brings a final close to the story. He is now serving two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, a sentence that means he will never walk free again.
On top of that, an additional penalty is added, ranging from 50 years to life in prison. This isn’t just a formality, it’s another layer of accountability that underscores the severity of the crime. Taken together, these sentences create a punishment that effectively removes any chance of a future outside prison walls.
Now his reality is confined to the limits of incarceration, strict routines, and years that slowly pass one after another. And this is the ending, one where nothing can be undone or rewritten, only the consequences that remain forever.
