Prosecutors say Gordon Abas Goodarzi faces a murder count in the November death of Aryan Papoli near Crestline.
SAN BERNARDINO, CA — A Southern California man has been charged with murder in the death of his estranged wife, whose body was found down a steep embankment off a mountain highway in November. Gordon Abas Goodarzi, 66, was arrested Jan. 23 at his home in Rolling Hills Estates and is being held without bail, authorities said.
Prosecutors in San Bernardino County filed one count of murder against Goodarzi, alleging he killed 58-year-old Aryan Papoli, a Newport Beach resident and his longtime spouse and business partner. Investigators said Papoli’s body was discovered Nov. 18 near Highway 138 and Crestline Road in the mountain community of Crestline and later ruled a homicide by the coroner. The case moved from a weeks-long identification effort to a homicide filing after detectives reviewed forensic findings and conducted interviews across jurisdictions. Goodarzi is due in court this week, and the district attorney’s office says more information about the charging documents could be released as the case proceeds.
Deputies with the Twin Peaks sheriff’s station responded Nov. 18 to a report of a deceased person off the roadside and located a woman about 75 feet down a rocky slope, officials said. Fire crews used technical gear to retrieve the body, which could not immediately be identified. Days later, Newport Beach police confirmed a missing-person report had been filed for Papoli; she was formally identified Dec. 1. After the autopsy determined her death was a homicide, sheriff’s homicide detectives led an “extensive and persistent” investigation that spanned the mountains and the coast. Goodarzi was taken into custody during a Friday operation at his Palos Verdes Peninsula home. “This case reflects the joint efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies,” District Attorney Jason Anderson said in a statement, thanking investigators and partner agencies for their coordination.
Authorities have not publicly detailed how they believe Papoli was killed, or what led them to suspect Goodarzi, and they have not announced a suspected motive. Records show Papoli had moved to Newport Beach months before her death and that the couple’s marriage was strained; divorce filings were pending last year. In custody records, Goodarzi is listed at the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino, with no bail allowed pending arraignment. Papoli’s two adult sons have spoken about their mother’s life and work, describing her as energetic, artistic and devoted to family. One son said the family first learned in late November that the unidentified woman found in Crestline might be Papoli, a possibility that was confirmed by early December. Officials emphasized that certain investigative details remain under seal.
Papoli, who immigrated to the United States as a young woman, spent years in Southern California’s business community and later focused on art and nonprofit work, according to family accounts. The couple had lived for years in Rolling Hills, an affluent city on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, before Papoli relocated to Newport Beach in 2025. Crestline, where her body was found, is a mountain town about 30 miles northeast of San Bernardino that draws day-trippers to Lake Gregory and the Rim of the World Highway. Investigators initially released a composite image to help identify the victim, an unusual step that underscored the case’s urgency and the difficulty of confirming her identity in the days after the recovery.
Prosecutors filed a murder charge under California Penal Code 187(a) on Jan. 23. The filing also alleges aggravating circumstances under Penal Code 1170(b)(2), a designation that can affect sentencing if there is a conviction. Goodarzi’s arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday in Department S7 at the San Bernardino Justice Center, according to the district attorney’s office. If he enters a plea, a preliminary hearing date would be set to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to hold him for trial. Prosecutors said investigators from the sheriff’s homicide unit remain assigned to the case. The office did not announce additional enhancements, special circumstances or evidence-related motions as of Monday, and no further court filings were publicly available beyond the charge summary.
Neighbors in Rolling Hills Estates described a quiet scene as detectives arrived for the January arrest. In Crestline, shopkeepers said visitors often pull off Highway 138 to take in the view where the embankment drops away; locals noticed sheriff’s activity in the area on the morning the body was recovered. In Newport Beach, where Papoli had been living, friends left flowers and notes at a small gathering after authorities confirmed her identity. “She had a way of lifting people up,” her son Navid said in an interview last month, recalling her enthusiasm for painting and community projects. District Attorney Anderson, in a brief written statement, praised the “extensive investigation” but declined to speculate on motive while the case is pending.
As of Monday afternoon, Goodarzi remained jailed without bail. The district attorney’s office said it would provide updates after the arraignment. Investigators said they are continuing to review evidence gathered since November and that additional filings could follow. A court calendar indicates the first appearance is set for Tuesday morning in San Bernardino. Further hearings would outline a schedule for discovery and a potential preliminary hearing in the coming weeks.
Author note: Last updated Feb. 3, 2026.