Trigger Warning: This story includes extremely disturbing content, including murder, sexual assault, and graphic violence. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
This case would not only disgust someone but also shake their faith in humanity. In a heinous act, Zarbab Ali (29) has been convicted not only of murder but also desecrating his estranged wife’s corpse
Ali has been convicted of the first-degree murder of his estranged wife, Rachel Castillo. He was also convicted of disturbing acts with her corpse, including desecration and necrophilia.
The conviction was announced by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, California, leaving the Castillo family and the community in shock and disbelief.
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Rachel Castillo, a 25-year-old social worker and mother of two, was at home in her Simi Valley apartment with her young sons. Ali and Castillo were in the process of getting a divorce.
According to prosecutors, on November 10, 2022, Ali picked up his kids from their mother’s house and then dropped them off with his parents. He then returned to her apartment with a knife and the intention of killing her. He waited outside for her to come out, pushed his way inside, and stabbed her multiple times, killing her.
After killing her, Ali covered her body in blankets and placed her in the trunk of his car. He drove to a remote area near Littlerock, where he buried her in a shallow grave.
Prosecutors prepared a timeline in which Castillo’s sister called 911 after visiting her sister and finding signs of a struggle in the apartment. According to her, there was blood everywhere, and Rachel’s phone, wallet, and keys were still in the house.
After Ali was arrested and questioned, he confessed that after burying his estranged wife, he was not done. He returned to her grave at 2 a.m. the next morning, exhumed her body, and committed sexual acts on it. He then reburied her.
Even after death, Castillo could not escape the horrors of being married to Ali. In the most chilling description, Ali told investigators, “Just to confirm that I am a monster, I r—- her.”
It came as no surprise to anyone, especially after his detailed confessions, when Ali was found guilty. During his trial, the jury deliberated for only three hours before finding him guilty of first-degree murder, use of a deadly weapon, and murder by means of “lying in wait,” a classification that proves the crime was premeditated and ambush-style in nature.
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Zarbab Ali (DOB 01/04/97), of Hawthorne, has been held to answer for the first-degree murder of Simi Valley resident Rachel Castillo.
Following a two-day preliminary hearing, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Paul Feldman… pic.twitter.com/wPd7UxfGT3
— Ventura County District Attorney’s Office (@VenturaCountyDA) April 10, 2025
In California, necrophilia is explicitly criminalized under California Penal Code 7052. And since Ali had already confessed to his inhumane act with Castillo’s corpse, he was found guilty of the charge.
The conviction for necrophilia carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. The date for sentencing has been set for January 12, 2026, for murder and the accompanying charges.
This conviction may have brought justice to the grieving family of the victim, but true solace may still be a long time coming. To lose one’s daughter and sister is agonizing, but to see them robbed of their dignity is a wound that may take time to heal.
One can only hope that the grieving family and children find some normalcy in life soon.
