Aahana Swrup
Ali Abulaban, a TikTok celebrity known by his username “JinnKid,” rose to online relevance after his content creation career took off in late 2019. However, as his fame grew, his marriage with his wife, Ana — often attached to the TikToker’s public image — deteriorated. Eventually, in October 2021, Ali killed Ana and her friend Rayburn Cardenas Barron, with whom the former suspected his wife was having an affair. It wasn’t long before the authorities caught up to Ali and arrested him. Peacock’s documentary, ‘TikTok Star Murders,’ delves into the story of the same case, analyzing the Abulabans’ online presence and marriage and how it paved the path for the demise of several individuals.
Ali Abulaban’s Abusive Relationship With Wife Ended in a Double Homicide
Ali Abulaban, born on May 18, 1992, met his wife, Ana, while stationed in Japan in the mid-2010s while serving in the US Air Force. By 2015, he returned to America following a discharge from the military, shortly after which Ana learned about her pregnancy with Ali’s child. As such, she moved to America shortly after and married Ali in a courthouse ceremony in 2017. The couple and their daughter, Amira, remained in Virginia, where he began creating content on the internet through YouTube, Instagram, and similar platforms. Under the username JinnKid, he saw some success through skits, impressions, and other content.
Eventually, by late 2019, Ali’s efforts paved the path for the beginnings of online stardom. In 2021, Ali and Ana moved to San Diego with their child, where they continued building their life together on the 35th floor of an apartment in Spire San Diego Complex. However, as the couple’s marriage unraveled in a trail of domestic violence, Ana eventually evicted her husband from their house. As per prosecutors, afterward, Ali installed a spying application on his daughter’s iPad to retain auditory information about everything unfolding in the house.
As a result, Ali overheard Rayburn Cardenas Barron, Ana’s friend, with whom she was allegedly romantically involved, visiting the apartment. Consequently, Ali drove over to the location on October 21, 2021, and killed the pair, who were later found in the apartment with gunshot wounds on their bodies. Afterward, he fled the scene of the crime and picked his daughter up from school. As he was driving on Interstate 15, the police caught up to him and arrested him on the spot.
According to prosecutors, Ali had a gun in the car during the time of the arrest and confessed to the murders. Although he denied confessing the same to the cops on the day of the killings, he later admitted to killing both Ana and Barron during his court trial in May 2024. Since there was little doubt about Ali’s involvement in the deaths, the court trials focused on deciding whether the killings were pre-meditated or not — a detail that would determine the nature of the former internet sensation’s sentencing.
Ali Abulaban is Awaiting a Prison Sentence Today
After Ali Abulaban’s arrest in 2021, shortly after his involvement in Ana Abulaban and Rayburn Cardenas Barron’s deaths, he was booked in San Diego’s George Bailey Detention Facility. During this time, he gave an interview to Fox5, where he blamed his and Ana’s move to San Diego for the fall of their marriage. Furthermore, he lamented the loss of his career while asserting that he was “devastated” to have lost his wife. He spent his days in the lead-up to his 2024 court trial in the prison. He was facing two first-degree murder charges, against which he pleaded not guilty. Reportedly, he and his defense had been hoping for a second-degree murder charge for a shorter sentence.
Ali’s defense attorney claimed that Ali had a troubled childhood, mental health issues, and cocaine abuse which affected his decision-making skills, spiraling him out of control. A clinical and forensic psychologist was summoned by the defense team who diagnosed Ali with the aforementioned issues as well as Bipolar I and unspecified personality disorder. During the trial, the defense alleged that he was manipulated by Ana, which ultimately led to his actions. Inversely, the prosecutor argued against the same and highlighted a pattern of physical and verbal abuse exhibited by Ali.
Another incriminating evidence against Ali came from his mother, Dalal Warra, who testified in court that her son called her and admitted to the killings shortly after the crime unfolded. Furthermore, she said he even sent her pictures of the dead bodies — which she deleted immediately — to convince her of the truth in his statements. In the end, after weeks of trial and days of deliberation, the jury found Ali guilty of two counts of 1st-degree murder in May 2024.
Thus, at 32, Ali is convicted of Ana Abulaban and Rayburn Cardenas Barron’s murders and is currently awaiting his sentencing, which is set for June 28, 2024. Considering the charges he has been convicted of, he can face a lifetime in prison without the possibility of parole. As of today, he reportedly remains in George Bailey Detention Facility in San Diego, where he has been held since his arrest in 2021.
