Twenty years after murdering two women, “Hollywood Ripper” was sentenced to death on Friday.
Michael Gargiulo murdered two women, including Ashton Kutcher’s then-girlfriend. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler called Gargiulo’s crimes “vicious and frightening” when he sentenced Gargiulo. In this case, everywhere he went, “death and destruction followed,” the judge continued.
A jury ruled that “Hollywood Ripper” should receive the death penalty and said that he should be executed.
The 45-year-old was found guilty two years ago for killing 22-year-old Ashley Ellerin in 2001 and 32-year-old Maria Bruno in 2005. He was also found guilty in the 2007 attempted murder of Michelle Murphy. He awaits trial in Illinois, where he was charged in 2011 with the murder of an 18-year-old woman, Complex reported.
Gargiulo’s garnered national attention because his victim, Ellerin, a fashion design student, was due to go on a date with Kutcher on the night she was killed in February 2001. She was found in her Hollywood home with 47 stab wounds.
In December 2005, he murdered Bruno, a mother of four, while she was in her home in El Monte. He cut off Bruno’s breasts and her implants were removed. His third victim, Murphy, was able to fight him off during her attempted murder in 2008. During the struggle, Gargiulo left a trail of blood that helped lead to his arrest for the other two slayings.
Gargiulo claims he’s “innocent” and denied involvement. “I’ve been framed by tunnel-vision detectives,” he said.
According to reports, Gargiulo may not be put to death anytime soon. California has not executed anyone since 2006 and the Governor of California has stopped all executions, at least while he is still in office.
