A man has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for the premeditated murder and subsequent abuse of his estranged wife, a young mother described by her family as devoted and full of dreams.
A calculated and brutal attack
Zarbab Ali, 29, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the horrific killing of 25-year-old Rachael Castillo. The murder took place on 10 November 2022, as the couple's divorce was nearing finalisation. Rachael, who shared two young sons with Ali, was staying at her sister's apartment in Simi Valley.
Prosecutors detailed a chillingly planned attack. After dropping his children at his parents' home, Ali returned to the apartment, knowing Rachael would be alone. He found the front door unlocked, entered, turned off the lights, and waited in the darkness. When Rachael exited a bedroom, he confronted her in a confined hallway and stabbed her 11 times in the neck and chest.
The aftermath and a sickening return
After the killing, Ali wrapped Rachael's body in a blanket, attempted to clean the scene, and placed her in the boot of his car, which investigators said he had deliberately left open. He then drove to a remote area near Littlerock, California, where he used a newly purchased shovel to dig a shallow grave and bury her.
Rachael's sister discovered signs of the violent struggle upon returning home and alerted police. While Rachael was missing, her phone, keys, and car remained at the residence. Officers from the Simi Valley Police Department found bloody items in a nearby dumpster and identified Ali as a suspect from witness accounts.
In a further act of depravity, the Ventura County District Attorney's office stated that Ali returned to the gravesite in the early hours of the following day. He exhumed Rachael's body and sexually assaulted her remains before burying her again. During his trial, a video of his police interrogation was shown, in which he confessed to this final, sickening act.
Justice for a devoted mother
Rachael's remains were discovered by police on 13 November 2022, and Ali was arrested later that same day. He ultimately pleaded guilty to unlawful mutilation, disinterment, or act of sexual contact with human remains and was convicted of murder.
At the sentencing hearing, the court heard powerful victim impact statements from Rachael's heartbroken family. They remembered her not just as a victim, but as "a devoted mother, loving sister, a daughter, and a friend" with a soft-spoken voice that could make anyone smile. The family revealed she had recently begun a master's programme at Pepperdine University and had bright dreams for her future with her boys.
Addressing Ali directly, family members labelled him a "coward" who turned to violence when faced with responsibility. They spoke on behalf of her two sons, whose lives were irrevocably shattered by his actions. The court ensured Ali will never walk free again, imposing a full life term for his monstrous crimes.
