Zarbab Ali
Ventura County District Attorney's Office

A California man who chillingly confessed he was a 'monster' has been found guilty of the brutal murder of his ex-wife, 25-year-old mother of two Rachel Castillo, a crime so horrific prosecutors said it left even veteran investigators shaken.

In a Facebook announcement on November 22, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko confirmed that 28-year-old Zarbab Ali was convicted of first-degree murder, with jurors finding true the special circumstance of lying in wait and the allegation that he used a knife.

The DA's news release stated: 'The jury also found true the special circumstance that the murder was committed by means of lying in wait and that Ali used a knife... He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.'

Nasarenko said Ali had already pleaded guilty before trial to the felony crime of sexual contact with the victim's remains, meaning the jury heard the case fully aware that Castillo's killer had desecrated her body after death.

A Crime That Shocked Simi Valley

According to evidence presented at trial and detailed by multiple reports, Ali repeatedly stabbed Castillo inside her Simi Valley apartment on November 10, 2022, while she was in the process of finalising their divorce. The couple shared two young children.

Prosecutors said Ali wrapped her body in a blanket, attempted a crude clean-up, and drove her corpse to a remote desert area of the Antelope Valley where he buried her in a shallow grave.

But what happened next horrified even the court.

The following morning, Ali returned to the scene, exhumed Castillo's body, and raped her corpse. In his recorded confession, played in court and reported by the Ventura County Star, Ali looked directly at investigators and said: 'I found Rachel, she was alone and I killed her. Just to confirm that I am a monster, I raped her.'

He added that the act was 'necessary', stating: 'If I didn't commit to being a monster, then she would have died for no reason.'

A Shallow Grave, a Grieving Family and a Community Terrified

Castillo's disappearance immediately raised alarm when her sister came home that evening to find a large pool of blood inside the apartment, while Rachel's phone, keys and car were still there.

The frantic search lasted three days until investigators discovered her body in the Antelope Valley desert. Ali was arrested on November 14, 2022, and has remained behind bars ever since.

Photos released by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office show Ali standing emotionless inside the courtroom as jurors confirmed his guilt. Images of Castillo, a devoted mother studying clinical psychology at Pepperdine University, resurfaced across social media, sparking renewed grief.

Prosecutor: 'Nothing Can Restore What Her Loved Ones Have Lost'

Deputy District Attorney David Russell praised the jury for delivering justice in a case he described as 'unimaginably painful'. After the verdict, he said:

'Our thoughts are with Rachel's family, who have endured unimaginable pain since the day she was taken from them. I am thankful for the outstanding efforts of law enforcement, whose investigation made this verdict possible. While nothing can restore what her loved ones have lost, this conviction ensures the defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison and that the community will be protected from him forever.'

Castillo had been preparing to become a marriage and family therapist. Loved ones described her as gentle, patient and deeply devoted to her children.

A Mandatory Life Sentence Awaits

Ali now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole when he is sentenced on January 12. Prosecutors say the special circumstance of 'lying in wait', meaning Ali ambushed his ex-wife, ensures he will die behind bars.

For Rachel's grieving family, the verdict brings a measure of justice, though not the healing they long for.

Her mother previously said: 'Rachel loved her children more than anything. She deserved a beautiful life.'

In the end, it was Ali's own confession that sealed his fate and confirmed the truth of his own chilling admission: he was, indeed, the monster he claimed to be.

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