A former TikTok star from San Diego has been found guilty by a jury for the 2021 murders of his estranged wife and her male friend.
Ali Abulaban is known for his skits under the name Jinnkid and he has nearly a million followers on TikTok.
He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder for killing his wife, Ana Abulaban, 28, and her friend, Rayburn Barron, 29.
During the trial, Ali became emotional after hearing the verdict, wiping tears from his face while the courtroom cheered.
Ali confessed to the murders during the trial and has been in prison since the October 2021 killings.
He has just been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole
The jury started deliberations after closing arguments on Friday, May 24, 2024.
About a month after the trial began, the jury delivered the guilty verdict.
He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, using a firearm, and a special circumstance charge for killing multiple people, as reported by NBC 7.
The jury determined that Ali was guilty of first-degree murder, which involves "an intent to kill with malice aforethought," rather than second-degree murder, which involves "intent to kill with malice but not premeditation," explained criminal defense attorney Gretchen Von Helms, according to CBS 8.
Ali and Ana had been having marital problems at the time of the murders, prosecutors said.
Ali was living in a hotel and had been stalking Ana after she told him to leave their apartment.
Deputy District Attorney Taren Brast stated that Ali believed Ana was cheating on him.
He sneaked into their apartment while she was away and installed a listening app on his 5-year-old daughter's iPad, reported the Los Angeles Times.
Ali claimed that while using the app, he heard Ana talking to another man.
He returned to the apartment, shot Barron three times, and struck Ana in the head.
During the trial, Ali's mother, Dalal Warra, testified that he called her immediately after the crime and confessed to the double murder.
Ali also took the stand on May 21, admitting that his relationship with Ana was tumultuous and that he used drugs.
He confessed to physically abusing Ana in a prior incident, stating, "I was just very impulsive."
The couple had been together for seven years and had one child.
Check out the story of a man who shot his girlfriend and son to death over what to watch on TV. Click here to read more about it.
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