Topline: Tech businessman Gordon Abas Goodarzi has been charged in connection with the death of his wife, Aryan Papoli.
Published: January 29, 2026 1:25 pm ET
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Left: Aryan Papoli, Right: Gordon Abas Goodarzi (via Facebook)
ROLLING HILLS, CA — A California man was charged with the murder of his estranged wife whose body was found at the bottom of a cliff over two months ago.
The victim, 58-year-old Aryan Papoli, was discovered Nov. 18, 2025, about 75 feet down a steep embankment in the San Bernardino Mountains. Investigators initially struggled to identify her and released a composite sketch of her face, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Papoli was reported missing Nov. 22, four days after her body was discovered in Crestline. Newport Beach Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Steve Oberon confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that a missing person’s report was filed with the department that day.
Two days after Thanksgiving, her son, Navid Goodarzi, received confirmation from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department that the victim was his mother.
Detectives launched an investigation after the coroner determined Papoli’s injuries were consistent with homicide. Papoli’s recently estranged husband, Gordon Abas Goodarzi, 66, was identified as a suspect.
“Through a continued and diligent investigation, Goodarzi was contacted at his residence and later arrested,” the San Bernardino sheriff’s department said in a statement. Goodarzi was taken into custody at his Rolling Hills home on Jan. 23 and transported to the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino.
Papoli, a socialite and philanthropist, had relocated to Newport Beach six months before her death to retire, as per a tribute website. She volunteered at the South Coast Botanical Garden and worked with the Fowler Museum at UCLA. She also explored creative interests including photography, ceramics and dance.
Born in Tehran, Iran, Papoli immigrated to the United States at 18. She met Goodarzi nearly 30 years ago in California, and together they founded U.S. Hybrid, a clean energy company. The couple had two sons, Navid and Milad, and purchased a luxurious five-bedroom home in Rolling Hills in 2017.
Navid told ABC7 in December that the news of his mother’s death “felt like the wind gets knocked out of you.”
“She loved people; she loved animals; she loved art,” he said. “She never grew up with an opportunity to express herself with art; she grew up in Tehran, Iran, and lived through revolution and war. She came to the United States and built a career; built a life; built a family.”
Papoli’s death came just months after she filed for divorce from Goodarzi in June, ending 28 years of marriage. Court documents show she cited “irreconcilable differences” in the filing. The records also noted that the crime could have “involved great violence,” the “attempted or actual taking of great monetary value,” or that Papoli was “particularly vulnerable.”
Despite the estrangement, CBS Los Angeles reported that Goodarzi attended Papoli’s memorial service in December. He made his first court appearance Jan. 27, where his arraignment was postponed until Jan. 29. Goodarzi remains in custody without bail, with another hearing scheduled the same day.
“It’s a murder case,” San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson told CBS Los Angeles. “We know that there is a substantial amount of resource within the suspect’s family in terms of money. … That’s always something we’re concerned about in a situation like that, having money and means and perhaps the ability to flee.”
The investigation remains ongoing as Goodarzi awaits his next court appearance.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Husband of Newport Beach Socialite Arrested in Homicide
Tech businessman Gordon Abas Goodarzi has been charged in connection with the death of his wife, Aryan Papoli.
By Kate Byrd
Published: January 29, 2026 1:25 pm ET
Left: Aryan Papoli, Right: Gordon Abas Goodarzi (via Facebook)
ROLLING HILLS, CA — A California man was charged with the murder of his estranged wife whose body was found at the bottom of a cliff over two months ago.
The victim, 58-year-old Aryan Papoli, was discovered Nov. 18, 2025, about 75 feet down a steep embankment in the San Bernardino Mountains. Investigators initially struggled to identify her and released a composite sketch of her face, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Papoli was reported missing Nov. 22, four days after her body was discovered in Crestline. Newport Beach Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Steve Oberon confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that a missing person’s report was filed with the department that day.
Two days after Thanksgiving, her son, Navid Goodarzi, received confirmation from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department that the victim was his mother.
Detectives launched an investigation after the coroner determined Papoli’s injuries were consistent with homicide. Papoli’s recently estranged husband, Gordon Abas Goodarzi, 66, was identified as a suspect.
“Through a continued and diligent investigation, Goodarzi was contacted at his residence and later arrested,” the San Bernardino sheriff’s department said in a statement. Goodarzi was taken into custody at his Rolling Hills home on Jan. 23 and transported to the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino.
Papoli, a socialite and philanthropist, had relocated to Newport Beach six months before her death to retire, as per a tribute website. She volunteered at the South Coast Botanical Garden and worked with the Fowler Museum at UCLA. She also explored creative interests including photography, ceramics and dance.
Born in Tehran, Iran, Papoli immigrated to the United States at 18. She met Goodarzi nearly 30 years ago in California, and together they founded U.S. Hybrid, a clean energy company. The couple had two sons, Navid and Milad, and purchased a luxurious five-bedroom home in Rolling Hills in 2017.
Navid told ABC7 in December that the news of his mother’s death “felt like the wind gets knocked out of you.”
“She loved people; she loved animals; she loved art,” he said. “She never grew up with an opportunity to express herself with art; she grew up in Tehran, Iran, and lived through revolution and war. She came to the United States and built a career; built a life; built a family.”
Papoli’s death came just months after she filed for divorce from Goodarzi in June, ending 28 years of marriage. Court documents show she cited “irreconcilable differences” in the filing. The records also noted that the crime could have “involved great violence,” the “attempted or actual taking of great monetary value,” or that Papoli was “particularly vulnerable.”
Despite the estrangement, CBS Los Angeles reported that Goodarzi attended Papoli’s memorial service in December. He made his first court appearance Jan. 27, where his arraignment was postponed until Jan. 29. Goodarzi remains in custody without bail, with another hearing scheduled the same day.
“It’s a murder case,” San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson told CBS Los Angeles. “We know that there is a substantial amount of resource within the suspect’s family in terms of money. … That’s always something we’re concerned about in a situation like that, having money and means and perhaps the ability to flee.”
The investigation remains ongoing as Goodarzi awaits his next court appearance.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Husband of Newport Beach Socialite Arrested in Homicide
Tech businessman Gordon Abas Goodarzi has been charged in connection with the death of his wife, Aryan Papoli.
By Kate Byrd
Published: January 29, 2026 1:25 pm ET
Left: Aryan Papoli, Right: Gordon Abas Goodarzi (via Facebook)
ROLLING HILLS, CA — A California man was charged with the murder of his estranged wife whose body was found at the bottom of a cliff over two months ago.
The victim, 58-year-old Aryan Papoli, was discovered Nov. 18, 2025, about 75 feet down a steep embankment in the San Bernardino Mountains. Investigators initially struggled to identify her and released a composite sketch of her face, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Papoli was reported missing Nov. 22, four days after her body was discovered in Crestline. Newport Beach Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Steve Oberon confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that a missing person’s report was filed with the department that day.
Two days after Thanksgiving, her son, Navid Goodarzi, received confirmation from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department that the victim was his mother.
Detectives launched an investigation after the coroner determined Papoli’s injuries were consistent with homicide. Papoli’s recently estranged husband, Gordon Abas Goodarzi, 66, was identified as a suspect.
“Through a continued and diligent investigation, Goodarzi was contacted at his residence and later arrested,” the San Bernardino sheriff’s department said in a statement. Goodarzi was taken into custody at his Rolling Hills home on Jan. 23 and transported to the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino.
Papoli, a socialite and philanthropist, had relocated to Newport Beach six months before her death to retire, as per a tribute website. She volunteered at the South Coast Botanical Garden and worked with the Fowler Museum at UCLA. She also explored creative interests including photography, ceramics and dance.
Born in Tehran, Iran, Papoli immigrated to the United States at 18. She met Goodarzi nearly 30 years ago in California, and together they founded U.S. Hybrid, a clean energy company. The couple had two sons, Navid and Milad, and purchased a luxurious five-bedroom home in Rolling Hills in 2017.
Navid told ABC7 in December that the news of his mother’s death “felt like the wind gets knocked out of you.”
“She loved people; she loved animals; she loved art,” he said. “She never grew up with an opportunity to express herself with art; she grew up in Tehran, Iran, and lived through revolution and war. She came to the United States and built a career; built a life; built a family.”
Papoli’s death came just months after she filed for divorce from Goodarzi in June, ending 28 years of marriage. Court documents show she cited “irreconcilable differences” in the filing. The records also noted that the crime could have “involved great violence,” the “attempted or actual taking of great monetary value,” or that Papoli was “particularly vulnerable.”
Despite the estrangement, CBS Los Angeles reported that Goodarzi attended Papoli’s memorial service in December. He made his first court appearance Jan. 27, where his arraignment was postponed until Jan. 29. Goodarzi remains in custody without bail, with another hearing scheduled the same day.
“It’s a murder case,” San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson told CBS Los Angeles. “We know that there is a substantial amount of resource within the suspect’s family in terms of money. … That’s always something we’re concerned about in a situation like that, having money and means and perhaps the ability to flee.”
The investigation remains ongoing as Goodarzi awaits his next court appearance.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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