A judge sentenced a California man to life in prison without the possibility of parole after he was convicted of murdering his estranged wife, whose body was found buried in a shallow grave in the desert in November 2022, authorities said.
Zarbab Aliof Hawthorne, was condemned by first degree murder in the death of Raquel Castillothe mother of his two children, on Monday, Jan. 12, the Ventura County District Attorney’s office said in a news release shared that day.
He is accused of killing Castillo in a Simi Valley apartment on Nov. 10, 2022, while he and Castillo were going through a divorce. Their divorce was almost finalized when she died at age 25, according to authorities.
On Nov. 21, 2025, Ali, 29, was convicted of murder “with the special circumstance that the killing was committed by way of dismissal,” the district attorney’s office said.
Before the trial, he pleaded guilty in connection with how authorities said he had sexual contact with Castillo’s remains, after he was accused of burying her body.
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During her sentencing, Castillo’s loved ones said in victim impact statements that “Rachel was more than a victim.”
They described Castillo as “a devoted mother, loving sister, daughter and friend,” who had “a silly, soft voice that would make anyone smile.”
Ali’s public defender, Erik Aucoin, had no immediate comment when reached Us Weekland Tuesday, January 13.
Before Castillo’s death, she lived with her two sons and her sister in an apartment in Simi Valley, which is about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, according to the district attorney’s office.
On the day she was killed, Ali took her children to her parents’ home, then visited the Simi Valley apartment when Castillo was alone, the district attorney’s office said.
When he arrived, he entered through the front door, which was open, and turned off all the lights in the apartment, according to authorities.
The district attorney’s office said he then “waited for (Castillo) to come out of a bedroom.”
Ali stabbed Castillo 11 times in a hallway, authorities said. She was stabbed in the neck and chest.
Afterward, authorities said Ali “wrapped her body in a blanket” and then put her body in the trunk of his car.
Before leaving the apartment with his remains, he attempted to clean the residence, according to the district attorney’s office.
Castillo’s sister later arrived home to find “signs of a violent attack and called 911,” the office said.
Ali eventually drove to Littlerock, about 40 miles northeast of Simi Valley, where authorities said he buried Castillo nearby in a shallow grave.
He then drove to his parents’ home in Victorville, according to the district attorney’s office. After his family fell asleep, he is accused of revisiting Castillo’s burial site.
There, the district attorney’s office said he “exhumed Ms. Castillo’s body, engaged in sexual conduct with her remains and reburied her.”
After Castillo’s sister called 911, Simi Valley police officers discovered bloody items in a dumpster in her and Castillo’s apartment, according to authorities. They also found that Castillo’s phone, keys and car had been left behind.
A witness, authorities said, told police they had seen Ali on the property.
On Nov. 13, 2022, the FBI joined Simi Valley detectives to search for Castillo’s remains in the desert area near Littlerock, the district attorney’s office said.
FBI agents and detectives eventually came across piles of dirt and a metal shovel, which led them to find Castillo’s body under a “disturbed” area of the ground, according to the bureau.
Ali was arrested later that day, the district attorney’s office said.
A Colorado man was arrested this week after being accused of killing a woman with whom he shared children and putting her body in a trash can. Colorado’s 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Thomas Perale has been charged with first degree murder, violation of an order of protection/domestic violence, abuse of a corpse and tampering with (…)
At the sentencing of Alí, Castillo’s mother, Robyn Castillohe said his daughter “was a devoted mother” and that “her children meant everything to her”, according to him Ventura County Star.
Rachel and Ali had adopted her two children, who were 5 and 2 when she died, the newspaper reported.
“They never got to say goodbye, and she never gave them a last hug…” Castillo’s older sister, Claire Castillohe said in court, according to the newspaper. “Every milestone will be a reminder of what was taken from them.”
According to the district attorney’s office, her family also told the courtroom that Castillo began a master’s degree program at Pepperdine University before she died and that she “had dreams for her and her children’s future.”
“She deserved to see them grow up,” her family added.
Ventura County Senior Assistant District Attorney David Russellwho led Ali’s prosecution, said in a statement that Ali “has shown no remorse.”
“He deserved no leniency, and today’s sentence ensures he will never again be free to endanger another person or inflict further harm on society,” Russell added.