Suvechha Sarkar
The morning of October 21, 2021, began like any other day for Ana Marie Abulaban and her friend, Rayburn Cardenas Barron. However, their life came to a sudden halt when they were brutally killed in a high-rise apartment in San Diego. The investigation unraveled a tale of jealousy, betrayal, and cold-blooded murder by none other than Ana’s husband, Ali Nasser Abulaban. Peacock’s ‘TikTok Star Murders’ explores the details of the harrowing crime and the courtroom battle that ultimately delivered justice. It also dives into expert analysis and emotional testimonies from Ana and Ali’s loved ones.
Ali and Ana Abulaban’s Relationship Gradually Turned Toxic
Ali Nasser Abulaban was born sometime in 1992 to a humble Middle Eastern family that was quite religious. However, he preferred a more independent life and aimed to be a star. In 2013, he joined the Air Force and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. The following year, he met Ana Marie, and their relationship blossomed quite quickly. However, an alleged fight led to Ali’s early discharge from the military, forcing him to return home to Bristow, Virginia, in 2015. Meanwhile, Ana’s family moved back to the Philippines, and that was when she found out she was pregnant. Eight months later, she welcomed her and Ali’s daughter, Amira, into the world. Since the visa process was slow, it took Ana nine months after this to move to Virginia before eventually tying the knot in the courthouse.
By 2019, Ali began creating short-form content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. He started gaining fame on social media in 2020. Ana began to feel alone and decided to visit her friends in San Diego, California. She loved her trip so much that she asked Ali to move there. Ali agreed because it would be good for his career. In February 2021, they moved into the Spire luxury apartment complex in San Diego. However, things began going downhill as both of them started partying, and Ali became addicted to Cocaine. Their perfect relationship turned into a nightmare as their arguments began growing. Ali became paranoid that Ana was cheating on him with Rayburn Cardenas Barron, AKA Ray, who had previously expressed his admiration for the latter. He began threatening her, prompting Ana to contact the police.
A Mountain of Evidence and His Confession Led to Ali’s Arrest
Ali was reportedly live-streaming his arguments with Ana online. However, the final straw arrived when he physically abused her, causing visible bruises on her face. By October 6, 2021, she discovered that Ali had cheated on her when the lady reached out to her. She finally posted a video on TikTok exposing him, which threatened his image. Hence, Ali threatened her to take the video down, but by the time she did, it had been seen by many people. Ana had by then moved into a friend’s house. Shortly after, Ali called her and asked her to move into their apartment since he had decided to move into a hotel. However, he had made a copy of the electronic key to the apartment.
On October 21, 2021, Ana had gone to drop Amira off at school when Ali entered the apartment with the copied key and reportedly vandalized it. He also installed an app on Amira’s iPad to record conversations in the apartment. When Ana returned around 11 am, she was shocked and asked Ray to come over and help clean the house. She called her friend, Julia, to pick up Amira from school. However, when Ali listened in on Ray and Ana’s conversations, he drove to the apartment around 2:50 pm, used the elevator, and entered the apartment with his key. He then shot both Ana and Ray before going out and calling his mother to confess to the crime.
A neighbor who heard the gunshots called 911 to alert them. After leaving the building, Ali stopped Julia’s car to pick up Amira and took off with her. The CCTV footage made it clear that he was behind the double homicide. Ultimately, officials spotted his vehicle on the I-15 freeway, where he was pulled over and arrested. They found a gun inside with several rounds of 9mm ammunition. He ultimately confessed to committing the murders and was charged with two counts of first‑degree murder, firearm enhancement, and a special circumstance allegation for committing multiple murders.
Ali is Serving Two Life Sentences at a California Prison Facility Today
The trial of Ali Abulanaban for the murder of Ana and Ray began on May 1, 2024. The prosecution reportedly needed to prove premeditation to prove him guilty on two counts of first-degree murder. Apart from presenting forensic evidence and CCTV footage of the building during the time of the murder, prosecutors also presented the audio recordings of that particular day, which Ali had recorded on his phone. However, the defense reportedly argued that it was voluntary manslaughter since it was a crime of passion. They further pointed out that he was provoked when Ali discovered that Ana was allegedly cheating on him. Furthermore, the defense presented a picture before the court where Ray and Ana seemed quite close.
On May 21, when Ali took the stand, the prosecution cross-examined him on his Google searches like “chopped bodies,” “trash can,” and many more. Prosecutors pointed out that these indicated premeditation. On the other hand, the defense cited his cocaine use, mental illness, and domestic distress. Ultimately, after a two-day deliberation on May 29, 2024, the jury found him guilty on two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances of multiple murders and firearm enhancement. He was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without parole and an additional 50 years to life for the firearm charge on June 28, 2024. As of writing, Ali is serving his time at California State Prison, Los Angeles County, located in Lancaster, California.
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