A California man was sentenced for the brutal murder of his wife during their divorce, authorities said.

Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced in a press release that Zarbab Ali, of Hawthorne, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Rachael Castillo. Ali had previously pleaded guilty to unlawful mutilation, exhumation, or sexual contact with human remains and was convicted of murder, according to the Ventura County District Attorney. Castillo, who had two children with Ali, had filed for divorce. The process was nearly complete when Ali, 29, fatally attacked her while she was alone in her sister's apartment, where she and her children were staying. The incident occurred on November 10, 2022, and Ali was convicted on November 21, 2025. On the day of her death, Ali picked up the former couple's two children and took them to his parents' home in Victorville before returning to the Simi Valley apartment. "Knowing Ms. Castillo would be alone, he found the front door unlocked, entered, turned off the lights, and waited for her to come out of a room. He then confronted her in a dark, narrow hallway and stabbed her 11 times in the neck and chest," the Ventura County District Attorney stated. Ali wrapped Castillo's body in a blanket and attempted to clean up the mess before leaving the apartment and placing the body in the trunk of his vehicle. which investigators said he had left open beforehand.

Ali took Castillo's body to Littlerock, California, and with a newly purchased shovel dug a shallow grave where he placed it. Afterward, he returned to his parents' house, where the children were.

Castillo's sister eventually returned to the apartment, where she saw signs of a struggle and contacted the police after noticing that Castillo's phone and car had been abandoned at the residence.

Officers who responded to the scene found bloodstained items in a nearby trash container and spoke with neighbors who remembered seeing Ali before police arrived.

At approximately 2:00 amlocal time the following day, Ali waited until everyone was asleep at the house and drove from his parents' home in Victorville to where Castillo was buried, according to the Ventura County District Attorney.

He then had sex with her remains and reburied her, an act he confessed to, according to the prosecution.

Detectives from the Simi Valley Police Department and FBI agents were searching for Castillo's body on November 13, 2022, when they found her remains in a remote desert location near Littlerock.

“Investigators located vehicle tracks along approximately 70 yards, ending in disturbed earth,” the district attorney stated. About 20 meters southeast of the mounds of dirt, investigators found a metal shovel. Under one of the disturbed areas, law enforcement recovered Ms. Castillo's body. Ali was arrested that same day after leaving his parents' house. “Rachel was more than a victim,” her family members said during victim impact statements at sentencing. His loved ones also addressed Ali directly, calling him a “coward,” speaking on behalf of “two innocent children whose lives were forever changed.” “Where any human being should feel shame, disgust, and loathing for what he has done, the defendant has shown no remorse,” stated Senior Assistant District Attorney David Russell, of the Ventura County District Attorney's Office's Serious Crime Homicide Unit. “His actions place him among the worst offenders this court will ever see. He deserved no leniency, and today's sentencing ensures that he will never again be free to endanger another person or inflict further harm on society,” Russell continued. the Simi Valley Police Department and FBI agents were searching for Castillo's body on November 13, 2022, when they found her remains in a remote desert area near Littlerock. “Investigators located vehicle tracks along approximately 70 yards, ending in disturbed earth,” the district attorney stated. About 20 meters southeast of the mounds of earth, investigators found a metal shovel. Under one of the areas of disturbed earth, law enforcement recovered Ms. Castillo's body. Ali was arrested later that day after leaving his parents' home. “Rachel was more than a victim,” her family members said during victim impact statements at sentencing. His loved ones also addressed Ali directly, calling him a “coward,” speaking on behalf of “two innocent children whose lives were forever changed.” “Where any human being should feel shame, disgust, and loathing for what he has done, the defendants have shown no remorse,” stated Senior Assistant District Attorney David Russell, of the Ventura County District Attorney's Office's Serious Crime Homicide Unit. “His actions place him among the worst offenders this court will ever see. He deserved no leniency,and today's sentencing ensures that he will never again be free to endanger another person or inflict further harm on society," Russell continued. Detectives from the Simi Valley Police Department and FBI agents were searching for Castillo's body on November 13, 2022, when they found her remains in a remote desert area near Littlerock. “Investigators located vehicle tracks along approximately 70 yards, ending in disturbed earth," the district attorney stated. About 20 meters southeast of the mounds of earth, investigators found a metal shovel. Under one of the areas of disturbed earth, law enforcement recovered Ms. Castillo's body. “Where any human being should feel shame, disgust, and loathing for what he has done, the defendant has shown no regret,” stated Senior Assistant District Attorney David Russell, of the Ventura County District Attorney's Office's Serious Crime Homicide Unit. “His actions place him among the worst offenders this court will ever see. He deserved no leniency, and today's sentencing ensures that he will never again be free to endanger another person or inflict further harm on society,” Russell continued. guarantees that he will never again be free to endanger another person or inflict further harm on society," Russell continued. "And today's sentence guarantees that he will never again be free to endanger another person or inflict further harm on society," Russell continued.“His actions place him among the worst offenders this court will ever see. He deserved no leniency, and today's sentencing ensures that he will never again be free to endanger another person or inflict further harm on society,” Russell continued. “And today's sentence guarantees that he will never again be free to endanger another person or inflict further harm on society,” Russell continued.“His actions place him among the worst offenders this court will ever see. He deserved no leniency, and today's sentencing ensures that he will never again be free to endanger another person or inflict further harm on society,” Russell continued. “And today's sentence guarantees that he will never again be free to endanger another person or inflict further harm on society,” Russell continued.

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