The tech CEO husband of a Newport Beach woman whose body was found at the bottom of a mountain embankment in Crestline is accused of killing her during an apparently contentious divorce after she allegedly withdrew millions from an account they shared, court filings show.
Gordon Abas Goodarzi, 66, is suspected of killing his estranged wife, philanthropist Aryan Papoli, 58, for financial gain, a prosecutor wrote in a sworn statement filed in San Bernardino County Superior Court.
In the midst of a divorce, Papoli had withdrawn between $5 million and $8 million from a joint account, the prosecutor wrote. She “made attempts” to ensure that her children received those funds, the prosecutor wrote, but “the defendant (Goodarzi) would financially benefit from the murder by being able to claim a right to the money.”
The prosecution statement was included in a filing seeking to block Goodarzi from being released from lockup prior to trial. The prosecutor also noted that Goodarzi has a passport for Iran, a country that does not have an extradition treaty with the United States.
A defense attorney listed as representing Goodarzi in court filings did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shortly before noon on Nov. 18, a woman’s body was found roughly 75 feet down a steep mountain embankment near Highway 138 and Crestline Road in the San Bernardino Mountains. An autopsy found that the woman had suffered injuries consistent with a fall, and the coroner later determined that it was a homicide.
Several days later, on Nov. 22, Papoli was reported missing in Newport Beach, where she had been living prior to her disappearance. On Dec. 1, the body of the woman found in Crestline was identified as Papoli.
Goodarzi was apparently quickly identified by detectives as a suspect in his estranged wife’s death. On Jan. 23, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office charged Goodarzi with murder. He was arrested at his home, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
In a blog post written while Papoli and Goodarzi were still together, Papoli described how they were born in Iran but met each other and married nearly three decades ago in the South Bay. The couple had two sons, both now adults.
Goodarzi was a “pioneer in renewable energy and electric vehicles” who had “dedicated over 40 years advocating sustainable technology, his wife wrote in the blog post
In 2021, Goodarzi was serving as CEO for Torrance-based US Hybrid Corp when the company was acquired by New York-based Ideanomics Inc. for $50 million, according to news reports at the time. US Hybrid Corp, which Goodarzi founded, specialized in designing and manufacturing components for electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles.
In his spare time, Goodarzi advocated for STEM education and environmental issues and volunteered as a guest speaker at universities and local environmental groups, Papoli wrote in her blog post.
Papoli wrote about having had a “diverse career” that included time in the corporate world as a CFO and VP of operations before she described “stepping back to focus on my creative side and entrepreneurial work.”
That work included serving in “different programs of the Redondo Beach Board of Education” and as a board member for the South Coast Botanic Garden and the Palos Verdes Art Center, she added in the post.
In a tribute posted online after her death, family members wrote that a years-long love of photography and fashion had inspired her to begin “expressing herself through ceramics, paint and other forms” adding that “just before her passing, she took to the dance floor, turning feeling into movement.”
Papoli herself had described how she “found joy” in “reading, meditating and taking photographs,” adding that her husband enjoyed “gardening, walking our dog and cooking.” They both enjoyed traveling, she wrote, as she was particularly drawn to “Italy’s rich culture and art” while he was “drawn to the diversity of Asia and South America.”
The couple separated in June, according to a divorce petition Papoli filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court that cited unspecified irreconcilable differences.
The divorce filing noted that the couple owned their home in Rolling Hills — estimated to be worth around $3 million on real estate website Redfin — a second home in Chino Hills — estimated to be worth a little more than $1 million — as well as industrial property in Massachusetts and vacant land in the Lucerne Valley and Crestline, the community where Papoli’s body was found.
The divorce petition was dismissed in December in a filing that cited Papoli’s death.
Goodarzi is scheduled to appear in criminal court for an arraignment on Feb. 10, according to court records. Along with the allegation that Goodarzi killed Papoli for financial gain, prosecutors are also accusing him of “lying in wait” before the alleged slaying. That makes it a special circumstances murder case, which would allow prosecutors to seek life in prison without parole or potentially the death penalty.