California Tech Executive Arrested in Wife’s Alleged Cliff‑Fall Murder

San Bernardino County authorities have arrested 66‑year‑old engineer and tech executive Gordon Abas Goodarzi on suspicion of murdering his estranged wife, 58‑year‑old Aryan Papoli, whose body was found Nov. 18, 2025 about 75 feet below Highway 138 near Crestline in the San Bernardino Mountains. Papoli’s death was initially consistent with a fall, but the county coroner later ruled it a homicide, and the sheriff’s department says an 'extensive and persistent investigation' led detectives to identify Goodarzi as the suspect, though they have not yet detailed the evidence or a motive. Court records show Papoli filed for divorce on June 12, 2025 after 28 years of marriage, seeking spousal support and a split of more than $4.5 million in property, including the Rolling Hills Estates home where Goodarzi was arrested and a property in Crestline near where her body was recovered; the divorce case was terminated Dec. 23 after her death. Charging documents from the San Bernardino County District Attorney allege Papoli was 'particularly vulnerable' and that the killing involved 'planning, sophistication, and professionalism,' aggravating factors that could shape any eventual sentence. Goodarzi, who sold his clean‑energy firm US Hybrid for $50 million in 2021, is being held without bail at the Central Detention Center, with his arraignment continued to Thursday as Papoli’s family publicly remembers her as an Iranian‑born entrepreneur and 'ray of light' even as they decline to discuss her relationship with her husband.