SAN DIEGO — The defense in the double murder trial that happened inside an East Village luxury high-rise apartment in 2021 had a chance to cross-examine one of the main detectives assigned to the case.
Ali Abulaban is accused of killing his wife, Ana and her friend Rayburn Barron inside an East Village highrise in October 2021.
A toxicologist also testified and confirmed Abulaban tested positive for cocaine hours after his arrest.
Throughout the trial, there's been evidence indicating Abulaban often used cocaine. While a toxicologist confirmed the drug was in his system the day of the shooting, she could not answer whether it played a role or not.
Prosecutors said on the morning of the shooting, Abulaban returned to the apartment he and Ana once shared and activated an app on their five-year-old daughter's iPad that allowed him to monitor live audio.
While listening to the app later that day, Abulaban overheard his wife and Barron, a man he suspected she had been seeing, talking and laughing.
That's when police said he drove to the complex and opened fire on the victims as they sat on a couch.
Abulaban's defense doesn't deny he committed the killings but argued he wasn't thinking rationally due to the collapse of his marriage and the effect it had on his mental health.
During cross-examination with former San Diego police homicide detective Ricardo Escalante, the defense asked about cell phone data he analyzed, including whether text messages between the victims proved they were having a sexual relationship, despite Ana telling her husband she would never have an affair.
"There were no videos of them having sex or pictures or anything like that. However, the conversations within the messages were indicative of that," said Escalante.
The defense argued it was Abulaban's suspicion of that relationship that fueled his rage.
In court, the defense asked the judge to drop the first degree murder charges, saying what happened was a crime of passion, and should instead be considered manslaughter. The judge denied that request.
Court resumes again on Monday. Abulaban is expected to take the stand.
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