Ashley Ellerin was preparing to attend a Grammy after-party with actor Ashton Kutcher and just got out of the shower when she was attacked by a serial killer.
On the first day of the trial, the Prosecutor Daniel Akeman told the jury about how Michael Gargiulo (43 years old), nicknamed the Hollywood Ripper, Ashley slashed throat and stabbed her more than 40 times in her own home in the Hollywood hills 18 years ago. Akeman in his opening statement said: «the Evidence will show that Gargiulo attacked Ashley from behind and slashed her throat from right to left, which suggests that the assailant is left – handed. Gargiulo left – handed».
During the hearing of a crime punishable by death, Akeman told about all the victims of the killer in chronological order, starting with 18-year-old Tricia, Pacaccio, who died in Glenview, Illinois in 1993. He said that Gargiulo grew up near the girl’s home and was friends with her brother.
Akamon claims that the man violently killed the girl on her doorstep after he developed an obsession with knives.
In California Gargiulo not on trial for the murder of Pacaccio, but the Prosecutor described the crime in all the shocking detail to show the hunting style of the offender for the young and attractive women who lived next door to him.
The court in Los Angeles to focus on the murder Ellerin, who lived around the corner from Gargiulo. After the murder Ashley, 1 Dec 2005 in El Monte, California a serial killer attacked a new neighbor – Maria Bruno (32 years). Gargiulo was finally arrested in 2008 after he moved to Santa Monica and tried to attack another neighbor, Michelle Murphy (age 26), but the girl was able to fight back.
Michael Gargiulo has been charged with the murders of Ashley Ellerin and Maria and the attempted murder of another woman who survived an attack. He was charged in the murder of Tricia Pacaccio on July 7, 2011. pic.twitter.com/xslpvGNycJ
— a & s threads (@popspiracies) February 15, 2019
The Prosecutor said that the school Gargiulo was an athlete, and then opened his own business, got married and became a father. And nobody knew he was leading a double life. Akamon said: «Gargiulo who mistook himself as an expert in criminology, with a knife attacked 4 women, killing three of them and managed to escape justice for almost 15 years.» He said: «This case is about the methodical and systematic murder of women Michael Gargiulo murderer-neighbor. At trial, you will hear almost 15 years Gargiulo watched, always watched, and was engaged in that planned a perfect opportunity to attack women with a knife in and near their homes.»
Akeman showed a photo of the house Ashley and the plan of the building in which she lived, and then described how Ashton Kutcher came to her house about 2 hours after the murder, to take her on a date. It is expected that the actor will talk about how he knocked on the door, then called the girl on the phone, but received no response. Akeman added: «Mr. Kutcher looked out the window and saw what he then thought was spilled wine. We now believe that in fact it was blood.»
Other witnesses will show that Gargiulo was a neighbor, Cossacks on a beautiful blonde. One night, he saw when he looked at her house from his car. In addition, he was not afraid to show one of her knife, which he hid in a sheath on his ankle.
The brutal murder of the girls remained unsolved for years, but during the attack on Murphy Gargiulo hurt. A drop of blood enabled the investigators finally solve this case.
Out on the suspect, investigators found other evidence testifying against the accused. While in prison he gave himself, when two undercover police officers placed in a prison cell Gargiulo, recorded on a hidden camera how a man was planning to attack guard, escape from prison, steal a car and escape.
In turn, the defense attorney said that no evidence linking the accused with the murder and urged the jury «not to draw hasty conclusions.»
After the trial in Los Angeles, Gargiulo returned to Illinois, where he grew up, and where he faces charges in the murder of Tricia, Pacaccio.
