Between the Covers & the Credits · Ali Abulaban
Ali Abulaban: The Screens, the Trial, and the People Behind the Story
JinnKid’s comedy, music and short films appear alongside documentaries, podcasts, trial recordings and court reporting. Each source tells a different part of this case.
Behind the Online Image
Ali Abulaban called himself JinnKid online. He first shared music and comedy on Instagram. Later, he posted sketches on TikTok and YouTube. His early videos, songs and film credits are still documented.
But this is not just a story about fame. Ana Abulaban and her friend Rayburn Cardenas Barron were killed in San Diego in October 2021. A jury found Ali guilty of both murders in May 2024. He was sentenced that September. An appeals court upheld the convictions in September 2026.
This page links to his public creative work, later reporting and the court record. It also shows why the image viewers saw online was incomplete. Ana and Rayburn remain at the heart of the story.
Before the Headlines: JinnKid on TikTok and YouTube
Ali’s early work included home-recorded songs, voice impressions and gaming sketches. These links document his work before the murders. Comedy videos alone do not tell us what happened in October 2021.
Original comedy video
Skyrim in Real Life (Season 1)
JinnKid • January 1, 2020
This compilation gathers his Skyrim comedy sketches. In a 2020 interview, Ali said the idea began with a face filter and a video filmed at work. The sketch is a performance, not evidence from the murders.
Original creator channel
JinnKid’s YouTube channel
JinnKid • original video archive
Ali linked to this YouTube channel in a January 2020 interview. It is a better source for his original sketches than later reposts. We have not verified whether his original TikTok account can still be opened today.
Contemporary interview
Interview: JinnKid
VENTS Magazine • January 5, 2020
Ali described starting with music, finding an audience for impressions and moving from Instagram to TikTok. These were his own statements in January 2020, before the murders.
News about TikTok
How JinnKid appeared online in 2021
CBS News / Associated Press • October 26, 2021
This early report describes his comedy and Tony Montana impressions. It gave his TikTok following as more than 940,000 at the time. It was published before his trial and conviction.
First-person creator interview
How Music and Impersonations Became JinnKid
VENTS Magazine • January 5, 2020
Ali said he made songs at home and shared them on SoundCloud and Instagram. Few people noticed them at first. So he tried funny videos that mixed music with his impressions of famous rappers. He said a sketch about Tekashi 6ix9ine brought him many new viewers.
Ali said he made videos with Anwar Jibawi and TraxNYC. He also said he met comedian Jay Pharoah. These claims come from Ali’s 2020 interview. They do not tell us what happened in 2021.
Independent reporting and video context
Ana’s Place Behind the Camera
Oxygen and Peacock • June 2024 reporting
Ana appeared in some of Ali’s videos and helped film others. Friends told reporters she spent time helping him make TikToks. Viewers saw only parts of their life together. They did not see the harm described by people who knew Ana.
Ana helped make some of the content that brought Ali attention. She also had her own life, hopes and loved ones. Rayburn did too. Their stories matter far more than the number of views a video received.
Original music album
Behold, The Jinn Kid! (2019)
JinnKid • January 19, 2019 • 10 songs, 33 minutes
The 10-song album was released on January 19, 2019. In his 2020 interview, Ali said he wrote, recorded, mixed and mastered his music at home. Apple Music lists the album, and his Bandcamp page holds other original tracks.
Original film credits
Montana: A Scarface Story (2019)
JinnKid • February 15, 2019 • 11-minute short
IMDb lists JinnKid as director and writer of this 2019 short film. He played Tony Montana under the name Ali Laban. His credits also include a sequel and a Skyrim series. The credits do not mean every film can still be watched.
These stickers show where JinnKid posted music and videos. They do not mean every old account is still online. We use the old Twitter bird because that was its logo at the time. Where an account cannot be checked, the link leads to a dated source about it.
Documentaries and Film
These programs tell the case through interviews and edited video. They should be read alongside the court record.
Streaming documentary
TikTok Star Murders
Peacock • June 25, 2024 • 90 minutes
Peacock uses interviews, private recordings and footage from the case to tell what happened to Ana Abulaban and Rayburn Cardenas Barron. The film is a produced account, not an official court transcript.
Official documentary trailer
TikTok Star Murders: Official Trailer
Peacock • June 11, 2024
The official trailer shows how Peacock introduced the documentary. Its short scenes are previews, not the full film or the court record.
Independent documentary
JinnKid: From Rising Star to Accused Killer
The Crime Atlas • February 26, 2023
This independent film follows Ali’s online rise and the early case. It came out before the 2024 verdict and includes the filmmaker’s own interpretations.
The Trial on Screen
Watch the court’s decision and read reporting from the days of the verdict and sentencing.
Courtroom video
Verdict: TikTok Star Murder Trial
Court TV • May 29, 2024
Watch the guilty verdict being read. The jury convicted Ali Abulaban of murdering Ana and Rayburn. The recording is a short part of the proceeding.
Verdict reporting
Cheers in Court as TikTok Star Ali Abulaban Convicted
Court TV • May 29, 2024
Court TV explains what the jury decided after hearing the evidence and arguments. The report was published before sentencing.
Sentencing reporting
Emotional Outbursts at TikTok Star Ali Abulaban’s Sentencing
Court TV • September 6, 2024
Court TV reports on the families’ statements, the judge’s remarks and the sentence. This account explains what happened in the courtroom.
Podcasts and Audio Stories
Some episodes were made before the verdict. Their dates matter when checking what was known at the time.
True-crime podcast
Episode 268: The TikTok Star Who Killed His Wife (Case of Ali Abulaban)
Rotten Mango, Stephanie Soo • June 11, 2023
Stephanie Soo tells the story using older reports and lists sources on the episode page. The show predates the 2024 trial, so readers should also see the final verdict.
True-crime podcast
171: ‘TikTok Star Murders’: Everything Peacock Left Out & The FULL Story of Ali Abulaban
Serialously with Annie Elise • July 1, 2024 • 77 minutes
Annie Elise reviews the case after the guilty verdict and discusses the Peacock film. She includes a list of reporting used in the episode.
True-crime podcast
TikTok Influencer to Convicted Killer: The Ali Abulaban Case
Military Murder, Mama Margot • February 17, 2025 • 56 minutes
Margot discusses Ali’s military background, his online work and the murders. The episode looks back after the trial and sentencing.
True-crime podcast
Falling Stars: TikTok Star Ali Abulaban
Once Upon a Crime, Esther Ludlow • August 8, 2023 • Episode 292
Esther Ludlow traces the rise of JinnKid and the deaths of Ana Abulaban and Rayburn Cardenas Barron. This episode was made before the 2024 verdict, so the court outcome is not part of its original story.
Three-part true-crime podcast series
DARKLIVITY: The Ali Abulaban Case
DARKLIVITY True Crime, Kimbyrleigha and Jon • August 3, 8 and 10, 2026
This three-part series looks at JinnKid’s online fame, Ana and Rayburn’s deaths, and the case after the trial. It is a creator’s retelling, not a court record.
The Sleuths, Trial Watchers & Legal Creators
Grizzly True Crime creator Gisela K covers the case background, courtroom arguments and sentencing. These three recordings are collected in one place.
Three original Grizzly recordings
Grizzly True Crime with Gisela K
“TikTok Star” Ali Abulaban Trial | Takes the Stand, BLAMES Wife?
May 24, 2024 · Background and testimony
The video begins with the story behind the case, then follows Ali’s testimony. It was published during the trial.
Closing Arguments and Jury Instructions
May 27, 2024 · Courtroom coverage
The recording includes Ali’s earlier interview, both sides’ closing arguments and jury instructions. Lawyers’ arguments are not evidence.
Sentencing of Ali Abulaban
September 6, 2024 · Sentencing coverage
The video includes a motion for a new trial, the families’ statements, Ali’s remarks and the judge’s sentence.
The Newsroom and the Court Record
Original reports and court documents give readers a way to check the timeline, sentence and appeal.
Original prosecution statement
TikToker Sentenced to Life Without Parole Plus 50 Years
San Diego County District Attorney • September 6, 2024
The district attorney confirms the 2024 sentence. It is an official statement from the prosecution. The court documents provide the legal record.
Court of Appeal opinion
People v. Abulaban, No. D084983
California Court of Appeal • September 17, 2026
The appeals court upheld the convictions. It discussed Ali’s challenges to the trial, including a jury instruction. This opinion was not published as binding precedent.
Updated appellate reporting
Ali Abulaban Loses Bid to Overturn Convictions
NBC 7 San Diego / City News Service • September 17, 2026
The local report describes the later appeals court ruling. It helps readers understand why some older podcasts still talk about an upcoming trial.
Why It Matters
A happy-looking video may leave out what happens away from the camera. Ana appeared in some of Ali’s videos and helped record others. The documentary uses selected footage and interviews. Trial videos show what people said in court. Each source tells only part of the story.
The jury found Ali guilty of killing Ana and Rayburn, and the appeals court upheld the convictions. His public success does not lessen the lives lost or the harm to their families.
What Happens Next
New, verified books, films, interviews and podcasts can be added here. Court developments belong in the timeline and Paper Trail. Older recordings may describe a trial that had not yet happened when they were made.
About older social accounts: Ali listed Instagram, Twitter and YouTube in a 2020 interview. Reporters also described his TikTok account in 2021. Some old accounts are hard to find today. If we cannot verify a profile, its sticker links to a dated source, not a lookalike.