Entertainment
TikTok star, JinnKid Convicted for murdering his wife and ‘her lover’
A former TikTok star has been convicted for the murders of his estranged wife and her lover in San Diego in 2021.
San Diego-based Tik Toker Ali Abulaban, 32, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder for his wife Ana, 28, and her male friend Rayburn Barron, 29, on Wednesday, May 29, People reports.
In court, Abulaban, who had nearly a million followers for his skits under the moniker Jinnkid, broke down in tears as he learned the jury’s verdict.
He confessed to the murders during the trial and has been in prison since the October 2021 killings. He will be sentenced on June 28 and could face life in jail.
“Finally, my brother and Ana got a little bit of justice,” Barron’s sister, Jordana Barron, said on Wednesday.
“Obviously nothing is going to bring our brother or Ana back, but at least he is never going to be able to do this to another person again.”
On Friday, closing arguments in the case concluded and the jury began its deliberations, deciding whether the killings were first- or second-degree murder.
Abulaban was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, with allegations of using a gun in the killings.
He was also charged with a special circumstance allegation of committing multiple murders.
The defence had hoped the jury would find him guilty of second-degree murder, meaning his sentencing would be far less.
He was instead found guilty of all counts and special circumstances.
It’s a relief. We’ve been waiting almost three years for this,” said Julia Stuntz, Ana’s best friend.
Since there was no dispute he killed the victims, jurors were instead tasked with deciding whether the killings were intentional and premeditated or committed in the heat of passion, as Abulaban had claimed.
“The jury came in and listened to the evidence for weeks, and they came to the right decision,” Deputy District Attorney Taren Brast said.
In her closing arguments, Brast went through a timeline of the day Abulaban killed Ana Abulaban and her friend Barron.
Brast described how Abulaban had spied on Ana to catch her with another man, and that he had malice and intent to shoot them to death on the couch in the apartment where he once lived.
“Heat of passion does not apply when you walk into an apartment that you had bugged, with a key card you were not supposed to have, to a fight that no one else knew was happening but you,” Brast said.
“And you brought a gun.
“That is not heat of passion.”
Brast said Abulaban had plenty of time to rethink his decision to drive to the downtown luxury condo he shared with his wife to shoot and kill her and the man she was seeing.
The prosecutor displayed the graphic photos Abulaban took of the bodies, played the sounds of the gunshot recordings he had on his phone and even mentioned the online searches for how to cut up and trash a body, among other things.
She said Ali Abulaban killed the couple because he felt disrespected, and this was planned and premeditated, not a reaction in the heat of the moment.
Brast also mentioned the history of domestic violence and Ana’s text messages to Abulaban expressing her fear and desire to leave the marriage.
She also outlined the chances Abulaban had to rethink his actions, including during the drive to the apartment to confront Ana and Barron, and even in the ride up in the elevator.
“It was wilful, deliberate, and premeditated,” Brast said.
Jodi Green, Ali Abulaban’s defence attorney, then presented her closing arguments.
Green told the court her client shouldn’t be convicted of murder because he had a bad childhood, mental health issues and was high on cocaine.
The defence attorney also pointed out the fact that Ali Abulaban was re-racking his gun in between shots, which is unnecessary, and that it proves he was out of his mind, as well that he had cocaine in his system eight hours later, proving he was not of sound mind.
“Ali Abulaban is not a murderer,” Green said.
“Yes, he killed Ana, the woman he loved, the mother of his beautiful daughter, Amira, and he killed Ray, a man with whom Ana was having an affair.
“And he cannot undo what he has done.
“But he did not murder them. He is not a murderer.”
Less than four days after Big Larry passed on, another veteran Nollywood star Emmanuel Francis has died.
Popular Nigerian Filmmaker, Femi Ogedengbe via his social media on Sunday night announced the veteran’s passage.
According to Ogedengbe, he had taken to the late veteran to Tanzania in 2006, adding that he shot a number of films with him, including Cross My Sin, She is My Sister and The Director.
Sharing late actor’s photo, Ogedengbe wrote: “Rest in peace to one of Nollywood legends. Uncle Emmanuel Frances, one of the actors i took to Tanzania in 2006, shot three movie with him; cross my sin, she is my sister and the director. RIP.”
A Ghanaian by birth, It is yet unclear how he died. He was in his 80s.
Before death, the late actor’s dreams was to shoot a film he tilted ” Ghana Must Go”. He has gone on to feature in dozens of films in Nollywood, earning him a reputation as a talented and lively personality.
Naijablitznews recalls this is coming days after Big Larry too passed on.
By Mario Deepromoter
A High Court in Ogun State has imposed an interim injunction prohibiting a planned event in memory of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad.
The legal team of the deceased family disclosed this in a statement signed by its representative, Monisola Odumosu, and exclusively obtained by PUNCH Metro, on Sunday.
Odumosu noted that the court’s decision, handed down by Justice O. Osunfisan, on Thursday, was in response to a motion filed by the late Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, represented by Emmanuel Oroko.
According to the statement, the injunction specifically targeted plans to host the ‘Sing for Mohbad and Win’ event, scheduled for September 12-14, 2024 in the state or any other location.
“In the motion with suit number HCT/871/2024 Justice Osunfisan ordered as follows ‘ An order of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the respondent whether by himself servants, agents,assigns or otherwise however called from holding any event titled ‘Sing for Mohbad and Win’ organised by the respondent which is set to be held on September 12, 13, and 14, 2024, at the Aqua Lounge or any other place pending the determination of the originating motion for interlocutory injunction dated and filed on September 6, 2024. The order of interim injunction hereby granted today, the 12 day of September 2024, is to last for seven days following the provision of the Rules of Court,” the statement read in part.
The Aloba family, who initiated the legal action, had previously appealed to the public to respect their moment of grief and refrain from commercialising the occasion by exploiting the goodwill of their late son.
Odumosu however stated that the matter was set to return to court on October 7, 2024, for the hearing of the originating motion for interlocutory injunction.
PUNCH Metro reported before the late singer’s first anniversary that the family expressed concern that some individuals and organisations might be planning to use Mohbad’s memory fort commercial purposes.
The family’s proposed move appealed to them to seek approval before proceeding with such a plan.
Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh addresses ex-husband Olakunle Churchill she counsel as single mother and aspirin women wishing to join her league.
The lady who sort to know how she had managed to cope since her div0rce from ex-husband Olakunle Churchill, wrote to her inbox,
“Good morning ma, please ma, I have a question. How were u able to cope when u and ur ex-husband left u with your child? If there is any advice am ready to learn. I am a nobody aiming to be somebody soon”.
And in response Tonto replied her below 👇
“Good morning,
First and foremost, I was the one who chose to walk away from my marriage, not the other way around. I needed to escape a difficult situation, not just got my own sake, but for my child as well. Best decision I ever made.
Remember, you have the power to become the person you aspire to be, as long as you commit to your growth and invest in yourself. Prioritize the well-being of your children while seeking guidance and strength from God. Sometimes the end of the road is the beginning of your blessings, but please, if your marriage is worth it, f!ght for your home.
Take care”.
She continued
“Dear single mothers,
I don’t have a manual for these things.
I am neither a pro in this movement.
My biggest teacher has been LOVE.
I just let God do his thing, and his thing is enough for me.
Draw strength from God, most especially keep your family matters private”.
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