Michael Gargiulo was an aspiring movie star who managed to be recognized for million of people for their horrific crimes. The American was nicknamed the “Hollywood ripper” for the long history that was revealed after the attempted murder of Michelle Murphy. The authorities learned that the criminal killed three women to find out how he felt.
The murderer He chose victims who came close to his home so he could monitor and control them.. The mimes were usually young women, who attracted him for having outgoing personalities and attractive appearances. Gargiulo sought to be part of their lives with some friendship or sentimental bond and none of his prey felt threatened before he killed them.
The American had a harmless appearance and had gone unnoticed until one of his murder attempts failed. Michelle Murphy managed to defend herself against Gargiulo on the night of April 28, 2008, when the serial killer entered her room and stabbed her while she slept. The woman was able to hit him and made him cut himself before he hit the ground. The blood that the criminal left on the floor was the key for the police to do a DNA test and find the culprit.
The story of Michael Gargiulo, the Hollywood ripper who murdered Ashton Kutcher’s girlfriend
The arrest of the American revealed that he was also the author of the murders of Asheley Ellerin, María Bruno and Trizia Pacaccio. This last case was the one that took the longest to find a resolution because its information was revealed 18 years after the death of the teenager. It was a neighbor and sister of one of his classmates, whom he stalked at night, assaulted on the way home and stabbed her 12 times.
The murder of Pacaccio It occurred on August 13, 1993 and the investigation collected all kinds of evidence but was unable to find the culprit of the crime. This occurred despite the fact that the police gathered the remains that were left under the nails of the murdered young woman but did not have the technology to do a DNA analysis. This fact caused Gargiulo to keep a low profile for five years until he moved to Hollywood, with the aspiration of being a star on the big screen.
The Hollywood Ripper had his first victim in the city on February 21, 2001. His target was Ashley Ellerinthe girlfriend of the budding actor, Ashton Kutcher. She was a 22-year-old fashion student who was preparing for a date with her partner until her neighbor infiltrated her home and stabbed her 47 times while the young woman was showering. This scene, in the best Alfred Hitchcock style, alarmed the entire city when her roommate found the body and notified the authorities.
His last fatal victim was Maria Brunoa 32-year-old mother who had four children in her care. She died after being stabbed 17 times inside her bedroom on the night of December 1, 2005. The tests only recovered the woman’s blood and the murder weapon, a blue surgical boot, but no trace that could lead to the murderer.
After Michael Gargiulo’s imprisonment, those close to him commented on the aggressiveness that the American had had since his childhood. His neighborhood suffered from his bad temper and he had a reputation as a bully in his adolescence. In addition, it was learned that the murderer changed his behavior in just a few seconds and became inhuman if someone altered him.
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New York Post
The final trial for the Hollywood Ripper arrived on May 2, 2019. On that date, the Los Angeles Superior Court declared Gargiulo guilty of the murders of Asheley Ellerin, María Bruno and Trizia Pacaccio and of the attempted murder by Michelle Murphy. This trial took 11 years and involved 79 witnesses and 350 pieces of evidence.
Source: Ambito
