The Love at First Sight That Turned Toxic

In 2014, the paths of Ali Abulaban and Ana Marie crossed in Okinawa, Japan. Ana Marie, born in Okinawa in 1993 to Filipino parents, grew up in the US Military base, where her father was stationed.

She later earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Technological University of the Philippines before returning to Japan to work as a quality management analyst.

Ali Nasir Abulaban, born in 1992 in Staten Island, was of Palestinian descent. He worked as a network engineer for the federal government and was assigned to Okinawa, where Ana Marie worked.

Their encounter was described as “love at first sight.” Ali was immediately infatuated with Ana Marie’s beauty and relentlessly pursued her.

The Filipina soon accepted his courtship. However, some of Ana’s friends voiced strong objections to the relationship, citing Ali’s demanding, aloof, and extremely jealous nature.

As soon as they became a couple, Ana Marie’s world began to revolve entirely around Ali. Her social life with friends diminished, and when they did meet, Ali was always present, intercepting Ana’s calls due to his overwhelming possessiveness.

The Military Incident and the Online Persona

Their turbulent relationship led to an incident that cost Ali his career. One night at a bar near the air force base, the couple argued after Ali had been drinking. In a fit of rage, Ali slapped Ana Marie publicly.

The incident was reported to high-ranking air force officials, who confronted Ali. He lied, claiming he had been in his room all night.

Due to the contradictory witness reports, Ali was given two options: face a court-martial or voluntarily discharge. He chose the latter and returned to Virginia.

Ana Marie, devastated by the separation, returned to the Philippines. There, she discovered she was pregnant.

Still deeply in love with Ali, she shared the news.

Ali quickly processed a visa for her, and they married on January 27, 2017. Their daughter, Amara, was born in Virginia.

In Virginia, Ali launched his online career, creating comedic content for Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, often impersonating characters like Tony Montana and various video game personas. He quickly gained fame under the screen name JinnKid, amassing a large following.

Ana Marie and their daughter Amara frequently appeared in his videos, showcasing a happy, loving family life that garnered millions of views and positive comments. This public image of their marriage was widely envied, but the reality behind closed doors was starkly different.

The Descent into Obsession and Violence

According to Ali’s cousin, Ali was extremely controlling and possessive of his wife.

As Ana Marie began creating her own content and gaining recognition, their relationship grew increasingly toxic.

Ali often live-streamed their arguments, using abusive language toward Ana Marie.

While some viewers dismissed these as scripted attempts for views, the conflicts were brutally real.

The relationship worsened when they moved to San Diego, California, in February 2021, a move Ana Marie suggested to be closer to her friends from Japan and to the Hollywood scene.

In San Diego, Ana Marie’s social circle expanded, and she was often invited to parties and nightlife events. Ali’s jealousy and possessiveness intensified. He often carried a gun when they went out, dominated conversations, and boasted about his success as JinnKid. He started physically and emotionally abusing Ana Marie.

He frequently accused her of using him to get to the United States and threatened that her friends were encouraging her to be unfaithful. Their happy content transitioned into videos showing their fights, where Ali publicly blamed Ana Marie for their problems.

The breaking point arrived in October 2021 when Ana Marie called the police, reporting that Ali had shoved her, causing minor injuries, in front of their daughter.

She also included in the police report that Ali was teaching their five-year-old daughter how to handle a gun. Ana Marie filed for a restraining order and officially separated from Ali.

The Act of Ultimate Violence

Ali was ordered to leave their apartment but, unbeknownst to Ana Marie, he had made a copy of their key. He moved to the Mission Bay Hotel, but his despair deepened.

He believed Ana Marie was punishing him and would eventually return. He spent days obsessively calling and messaging her, tracking her movements.

On October 21, 2021, Ali ordered groceries and roses to be delivered to the unit. When Ana Marie didn’t respond to his calls, he drove to the apartment.

He found the groceries left outside and the roses inside destroyed, crushed under Ana Marie’s makeup bag. Enraged, he vandalized the apartment.

Before leaving, Ali committed a chilling act of surveillance: he installed a listening app on his daughter Amara’s iPad, hiding the device under the bed.

He drove away, but soon heard the app activate: Ana Marie had returned, talking and laughing happily with a male friend. Consumed by suspicion, Ali rushed back to the unit, praying in the elevator that Ana Marie was not being intimate with the man.

The surveillance camera of a neighbor’s unit recorded the sounds: Ali opening the door, slamming it shut, and then, three seconds later, six consecutive gunshots followed by screams.

Ali shot Rayburn Baron first, hitting him in the cheek, neck, and head. Ana Marie screamed, and Ali turned the gun on his wife, shooting her in the forehead. Ali called his mother and friends, confessing the act and sending them pictures of the victims before finally calling 911.

Police tracked Ali’s phone and license plate, arresting him 45 minutes later in his black Jeep Wrangler, with his five-year-old daughter Amara in the car. Inside the vehicle, they found a 9mm Glock 19 pistol and ammunition.

The Conviction and the Aftermath

During the preliminary hearing, Ali confessed the entire sequence of events.

He claimed he shot them in a fit of rage after seeing them sitting closely together, convinced they were about to be intimate.

He claimed Rayburn Baron, whom he knew from a party, had previously made insulting comments about his wife.

Ali’s defense focused heavily on his mental health history, including an ADHD diagnosis at age 14, drug addiction, and severe childhood trauma from his strict father’s abuse.

His mother testified about his difficult upbringing and his father’s harsh treatment, including smashing Ali’s guitar on his head. The defense argued that his actions were the result of mental health struggles and extreme depression.

However, the jury was unmoved by the attempt to mitigate the brutal act of ultimate violence. Ali Abulaban was found guilty of two counts of the fatal assault and sentenced to two life terms without the possibility of parole.

In a final, chilling display of misplaced priority, Ali addressed his fans after the verdict, apologizing not for taking two lives, but for being unable to upload content anymore. He expressed profound regret over the loss of his career, showing little remorse for his victims.

His final words were addressed to his daughter, Amara, telling her that if she ever watched the news, she should not blame herself.

The five-year-old Amara is the ultimate victim, losing her mother and seeing her father imprisoned for life. The tragedy serves as a stark warning about the devastating consequences of unchecked obsession and violence.