Convicted murderer Michael Gargiulo, also known as the Hollywood Ripper, was sentenced to death in the United States for the murder of two women in the first decade of the millennium. The BBC station informed about it today. Relatives of the victims, who heard the verdict in Los Angeles on Friday, responded by crying.
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Gargiulo stabbed 22-year-old Ashley Ellerin and 32-year-old Maria Bruno in their California homes. Michelle Murphy may have been the third victim, but she managed to defend herself against the killer. Gargiulo fled the scene at the time, leaving traces of blood behind, allowing the police to track him down.
The case also gained attention because one of the victims, Ashley Ellerin, had an acquaintance with the American actor Ashton Kutcher and was murdered the night she was to meet him.
Kutcher said in court that he had knocked on Ellerin’s door, but no one responded to the knock. So he looked in through the window and saw what looked like stains of wine on the floor. Eller’s body was discovered with 47 stab wounds the next day by her roommate. Murphy, who may have been another victim, collapsed in court, saying she was afraid to be home alone at night, even though more than ten years had passed since Gargiulo had tried to assassinate her.
The jury found Gargiula guilty of the murder of two people and the attempted murder in 2019. However, the 45-year-old man continues to insist on his innocence. He is now on trial in Illinois, facing charges of murdering an 18-year-old woman in 1993.
