The wife of a wealthy tech CEO now charged in her grisly murder had filed for divorce just five months before her body was found at the bottom of a mountain in San Bernardino County – and more than $4.5 million in property was at stake.
Aryan Papoli was in the middle of a bitter split from Gordon Abas Goodarzi, citing “irreconcilable differences” in her June 12, 2025 petition, according to documents obtained by The California Post.
The 58-year-old mom of two was seeking spousal support from her estranged engineer husband of 28 years, who sold his tech company US Hybrid, a clean energy company specializing in zero-emission powertrain components for commercial and military vehicles, for $50 million in 2021.
Papoli and Goodarzi, 66, listed several properties in the divorce docs that would have to be divvied up – including the $3 million Rolling Hills Estate “marital residence” where Goodarzi was arrested, a $1 million dollar home in Chino Hills and a 43,000-square-foot industrial property in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Philanthropist Aryan Papoli was murdered in the middle of a bitter divorce battle, court documents revealed. Instagram/@avissapapoliThe couple also had vacant land in SoCal worth $500,000, and another property in Crestline, the same town where Papoli’s lifeless body was found at the bottom of a 75-foot embankment on a mountain road on Nov. 18.
Goodarzi asked the court to rule that both he and Papoli be held responsible for paying their own fees in his filed response. But she had demanded that he pay her legal fees.
The divorce was called off on Dec. 23 by Papoli’s attorney “due to the death of petitioner.”
The couple shared a $3 million home in Rolling Hills Estate GOOGLE
Also tied up in the divorce was a massive industrial building located in Massachusetts. GOOGLECrestline is about 76 miles from the Newport Beach home where Papoli was living when she disappeared.
Police could not immediately identify Papoli’s body – but did so on Dec. 1, after releasing a sketch and a description of her, including that she was wearing a blue sweatshirt, blue pants and white and black New Balance shoes when her body was discovered.
Her death was then ruled a homicide.
Papoli’s body was discovered at the bottom of a Crestline embankment. Google Street ViewGoodarzi, who also worked as a research affiliate at UCLA, was arrested Friday at his Rolling Hills Estates mansion and charged in his estranged wife’s murder.
The charging document, filed by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, states that Popali was “particularly vulnerable” and that Goodarzi allegedly carried out the murder with “planning, sophistication, and professionalism.”
Tens of millions of dollars where apparently on the line in the couple’s high-profile divorce. Facebook/Aryan PapoliThe alleged crime involved “an attempted or actual taking or damage of great monetary value,” the document said.
He is being held without bail at the Central Detention Center.
Investigators released a sketch couldn’t immediately identify the remains. San Bernardino Sheriffs DepartmentPapoli grew up in Iran and moved to the US with her family at 18 in hopes of a better life. She met Goodarzi 30 years ago in California, and together they founded US Hybrid – and had two sons, Navid and Milad.
US Hybrid was bought by Torrance-based Ideanomics for $50 million in 2021 in cash-and-stock deal.
She had moved to Newport Beach six months before her death, seeking a “serene place to thrive creatively” after retiring, her son Navid Goodarzi told the Los Angeles Times.
Papoli wrote an article for Strollmag about her heritage and family dynamics.
“Being Iranian American, we cherish the blending of two cultures, and we find great joy in celebrating both our Persian roots and the traditions that come with being part of an American family,” she said.
“Another tradition that’s incredibly important to us is our Sunday family meals.
”No matter what the week brings, we always come together on Sundays to cook and share a meal.”
