A California man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being sentenced for the brutal murder of his wife during their divorce — a case prosecutors described as one of the most disturbing they have ever handled.
On Monday, Jan. 12, Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced that Zarbab Ali, 29, of Hawthorne, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the killing of Rachael Castillo, the mother of his two children.
Ali was convicted of murder and had previously pleaded guilty to unlawful mutilation and sexual acts involving human remains, according to prosecutors.
Castillo had recently filed for divorce, a process that was nearly finalized when the violence unfolded. At the time, she and her two young sons were staying at her sister’s apartment in Simi Valley. Prosecutors said Ali used that knowledge to carry out the attack.
On Nov. 10, 2022, Ali picked up the couple’s children and dropped them off at his parents’ home in Victorville. He then returned to the apartment, knowing Castillo would be alone. According to the district attorney, Ali entered through an unlocked door, turned off the lights, and waited in the dark.
When Castillo stepped into a narrow hallway, Ali confronted her and stabbed her 11 times in the neck and chest.
After the killing, prosecutors said Ali wrapped Castillo’s body in a blanket, attempted to clean the scene, and placed her body in the trunk of his car, which investigators said he had intentionally left open in advance. He then drove to a remote area near Littlerock, where he used a newly purchased shovel to dig a shallow grave and bury her before returning to his parents’ home.
Castillo’s sister later returned to the apartment and noticed signs of a violent struggle. When she realized Castillo’s phone and car were still there, she contacted police. Officers found bloody items in a nearby dumpster and spoke with neighbors who reported seeing Ali at the location.
Prosecutors say that in the early hours of the next morning, Ali left the house while others slept and drove back to the burial site. There, he dug up Castillo’s body and sexually assaulted her remains before burying her again. Authorities said Ali later confessed to the act, and video of his police interrogation was shown during the trial.
On Nov. 13, 2022, detectives from the Simi Valley Police Department and FBI agents located Castillo’s remains in a remote desert area near Littlerock. Investigators followed vehicle tracks leading to disturbed soil and recovered a shovel near the burial site. Ali was arrested later that day after leaving his parents’ home.
During sentencing, Castillo’s loved ones spoke through emotional victim impact statements, remembering her as a devoted mother, loving sister, daughter, and friend with a gentle voice and a warm spirit. They shared that Castillo had recently begun a master’s program at Pepperdine University and had dreams of building a better future for her and her sons.
“She deserved to watch them grow,” her family said, addressing the irreversible loss felt by her children.
Relatives also addressed Ali directly, calling him a coward and speaking on behalf of the two boys whose lives were forever changed.
Senior Deputy District Attorney David Russell said Ali showed no remorse and described him as one of the worst offenders the court would ever see.
“Today’s sentence ensures he will never again be free to endanger another person or inflict further harm on society,” Russell said.
For Castillo’s family, the life sentence brings justice — but no closure for a loss that can never be undone.