Serial killer convicted of murdering Ashton Kutcher’s girlfriend.
A vicious killer dubbed the “Hollywood ripper” has been sentenced to death for stabbing Ashton Kutcher’s then-girlfriend 47 times.
On Saturday (AEST), Michael Gargiulo, dubbed the “Hollywood Ripper,” was sentenced to death in California for the home invasion murders of two women, including Ashton Kutcher’s then-girlfriend.
Gargiulo, a former bouncer, air conditioning repairman, and aspiring actor, was convicted in August 2019 of murdering Ashley Ellerin, 22, in 2001 and Maria Bruno, 32, in 2005.
He was also convicted of attempted murder in connection with an attack on a woman in Santa Monica in 2008.
Ellerin, who was discovered with 47 stab wounds in her Hollywood home, was scheduled to go on a date with Kutcher, who was then a rising young actor.
Kutcher testified during Gargiulo’s murder trial that he was late picking Ellerin up but had been calling her repeatedly to inform her of his delay.
When he eventually arrived at her Hollywood Hills home, she remained silent. Kutcher testified that he believed he had been duped — but she had been murdered by Gargiulo.
Kutcher stated that he had looked through a window and noticed what he believed to be red wine on the floor before leaving, assuming she had already left.
Prosecutors allege that Gargiulo targeted young, attractive women who lived near him, earning him the moniker “The Boy Next Door Killer.” However, media outlets dubbed him “The Chiller Killer” and “The Hollywood Ripper.”
Judge Larry P. Fidler of the Los Angeles Superior Court described Gargiulo’s crimes as “vicious and frightening” as he handed down the sentence.
“Death and destruction followed Mr. Gargiulo everywhere he went,” Fidler stated.
Gargiulo is expected to be extradited to Illinois to stand trial for the 1993 murder of Tricia Pacaccio, who was 18 at the time.
