SAN DIEGO (Court TV) — A former social media star faces a potential sentence of life behind bars when he faces a judge on Friday for the murders of his wife and her friend.
Ali Abulaban cried after the verdict was read in court on May 29, 2024. (Court TV/Pool)
Ali Abulaban was convicted of first-degree murder for shooting his wife, Ana Abulaban, and her friend, Rayburn Barron. While he had never denied pulling the trigger and killing the victims , Ali had argued that he had acted in the heat of passion after discovering his wife was having an extramarital relationship.
MORE | Cheers in court as TikTok star Ali Abulaban convicted in double murder
Ali was initially scheduled to be sentenced in June, but the hearing was delayed after his attorney requested additional preparation time. At the June hearing, an attorney representing Barron’s family revealed that Ali had continued to post on social media while behind bars. The judge told the family he was powerless to stop Ali from posting and deferred the issue to the sheriff’s office.