A California judge sentenced a TikToker convicted of brutally murdering his estranged wife and the man he suspected she was dating to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Well-known social media influencer Ali Abulaban’s sentence was handed down on September 6, following his conviction on two counts of first-degree murder. The judge also added an additional 50 years to his sentence for gun enhancement charges according to PEOPLE.
TikToker sentenced after murdering wife
Ali’s verdict which was live-streamed by Court TV, was marked by an emotional outburst from the gallery as the judge declared that Abulaban would "die in prison." the judge added, "You will never be a free man,” as he added another 50 years behind the bars.
“Being sent to prison forever feels like I’m being sent to hell, and I don’t think that’s fair,” Ali was heard saying during the hearing. However, Judge Fraser condemned his actions as “very selfish” and “chilling.”
Ali Abulaban, 32, who goes by "JinnKid" on social media, received two consecutive sentences of 25 years to life for the murders of Ana Abulaban, 28, and Rayburn Cardenas Barron, 29. The killings took place at the Spire San Diego luxury apartment complex, and Abulaban admitted to the murders during his trial. "The bottom line here is you will die in prison," Judge Jeffrey Fraser said during the trial.
Ali Abulaban apologised but kept defending his actions
{{/usCountry}}Ali Abulaban, 32, who goes by "JinnKid" on social media, received two consecutive sentences of 25 years to life for the murders of Ana Abulaban, 28, and Rayburn Cardenas Barron, 29. The killings took place at the Spire San Diego luxury apartment complex, and Abulaban admitted to the murders during his trial. "The bottom line here is you will die in prison," Judge Jeffrey Fraser said during the trial.
Ali Abulaban apologised but kept defending his actions
{{/usCountry}}Ali Abulaban expressed remorse for his actions, acknowledging the immense pain he had caused to both families. During the sentencing hearing, Ana Abulaban's sister delivered a powerful victim impact statement, describing the devastating effects of the loss on their family. "If I had known what Ana was going through," she said, “I would have flown again to see her and done my best to take her away from you.”
On the other hand, Even though Ali apologised, he kept saying his actions happened because he was in a really bad state of mind because of drugs. "The fact that I spent more time on the stand than the jury took to deliberate my fate is very concerning," he said.
"When I saw the Scarface videos, it's as if when he committed these crimes he became that persona of Scarface. Just the cold-blooded killing without remorse," Judge Fraser said in response. “Any tears he has cried in this courtroom have been for himself.”
Tiktoker killed his estranged wife and her suspected lover
Ali was reportedly estranged from his wife, Ana Marie Abulaban, at the time of the killings. Their marriage was already in a rocky state, and hours earlier, Ana had texted Ali unequivocally: “I want you out of my life,” according to courtroom documents.
Ali secretly placed a listening device on their daughter’s iPad and overheard Ana talking to someone he believed she might have been cheating with. The incident took place in October 2021 at their home. Shortly thereafter, Ali burst into their apartment and shot Rayburn Barron, 29, multiple times before fatally shooting his wife in the head. Immediately after the murders, Ali contacted his mother to confess what he had done.