Michael Gargiulo | |
---|---|
Born | Michael Thomas Gargiulo February 15, 1976[1] Glenview, Illinois, U.S. |
Other names | Hollywood Ripper Chiller Killer The Boy Next Door Killer |
Conviction(s) | First degree murder with special circumstances (2 counts), attempted murder |
Criminal charge | Felony murder |
Penalty | Death[2] |
Details | |
Victims | 3–10; 1 survived |
Span of crimes | 1993–2008 |
Country | United States |
State(s) | Illinois, California |
Date apprehended | June 6, 2008 |
Michael Thomas Gargiulo (born February 15, 1976)[1] is a convicted American serial killer.[3] He moved to Southern California in the 1990s and gained the nickname The Hollywood Ripper. He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death on July 16, 2021.[4] He is currently incarcerated in San Quentin State Prison.[5]
Crimes
Gargiulo is a native of the Chicago suburb of Glenview, Illinois, where he may have stabbed his neighbor, 18-year-old Tricia Pacaccio, to death on her back doorstep. Her father found her body the next morning on August 14, 1993.[6][7] Gargiulo moved to Los Angeles in 1998, allegedly to escape the scrutiny of the police in Illinois,[8] and committed two murders and an attempted murder in Southern California between 2001 and 2008.
On February 21, 2001, he murdered 22-year-old Ashley Ellerin, stabbing her 47 times in her home in Hollywood. Ellerin's injuries included a neck wound that nearly severed her head and deep punctures to the chest, stomach, and back. Some of her wounds were up to six inches deep.[9] According to detective Tom Small, one stab wound "actually penetrated the skull and took out a chunk of skull like a puzzle piece."[9] On the night she was murdered, Ellerin had planned a date including dinner and drinks with actor Ashton Kutcher.[10]
On December 1, 2005, Gargiulo stabbed 32-year-old Maria Bruno, his neighbor, to death at her home in El Monte, California.[11] She was stabbed 17 times.[9]
Gargiulo attempted to murder another neighbor, 26-year-old Michelle Murphy, in her home in Santa Monica on April 28, 2008.[12] She fought off the attack, and blood matching Gargiulo's DNA was found at the scene.[13]
Arrest and prosecution
Gargiulo was arrested by the Santa Monica Police Department on June 6, 2008. On July 7, 2011, the Cook County State's Attorney charged Gargiulo with the first-degree murder of Tricia Pacaccio.[14] Although Gargiulo was charged in the two California murders as well as the Pacaccio murder in Illinois, police did not link him to any other murders.[6] Gargiulo allegedly told authorities in the Los Angeles County Jail that just because ten women were killed — and his DNA was present — does not mean he murdered anyone, leading investigators to believe that there are more victims.[6]
Media in Los Angeles dubbed Gargiulo the "Hollywood Ripper" and the "Chiller Killer."[14][15] Gargiulo was held at Los Angeles County Jail while awaiting a capital murder trial.[16] A pre-trial hearing was held on June 9, 2017, in Los Angeles Superior Court, with his trial scheduled to begin in October 2017.[17] After delays, his trial began on May 2, 2019.[10][18] In May 2019, actor Ashton Kutcher testified about the crimes.[18][19]
On August 15, 2019, Gargiulo was convicted on all counts. The penalty phase of his California trial started on October 7, 2019. He faced either a death sentence or life in prison without the possibility of parole.[20][21][22][23] On October 18, 2019, a jury rendered a verdict of death for Michael Gargiulo after several hours of deliberation,[24] but sentencing for Gargiulo in California continued to be delayed by defense motions. On July 16, 2021, Gargiulo was sentenced to death.[25][26][27] Gargiulo is now expected to be extradited to Illinois for the 1993 killing of Tricia Pacaccio in his Illinois hometown. If extradited and convicted in Illinois, he will face a sentence of 25 years to life.[28]
See also
References
- 1 2 "LASD Inmate Information Center - Inmate Search". lasd.org. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
- ↑ "'Hollywood Ripper' sentenced to death in US". The Straits Times (Singapore). July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
- ↑ "Ashton Kutcher testifies in trial of serial killer suspect Michael Gargiulo". Los Angeles Times. May 29, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
- ↑ "'Hollywood Ripper' sentenced to death in US". The Straits Times (Singapore). July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
- ↑ "CDCR Public Inmate Locator Disclaimer". inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- 1 2 3 "LA detective: Suspect could have killed 10 women". Chicago Sun Times. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014.
- ↑ Staff (July 7, 2011). "Man Charged with Murder in Cold Case Featured on "48 Hours Mystery". 48 Hours. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
- ↑ "Michael Gargiulo to Be Charged with Killing Tricia Pacaccio". Chicago magazine. July 2011. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
- 1 2 3 Smith, Bryan. "Did Alleged "Hollywood Ripper" Michael Gargiulo Kill Tricia Pacaccio?". Chicago magazine. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
- 1 2 "Man accused of murdering Ashton Kutcher's date goes on trial". www.cbsnews.com. May 2, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
- ↑ Richards, Tori (undated). "Michael Gargiulo: Alleged Hollywood Ripper – El Monte" archive. TruTv. Original retrieved August 3, 2012. Archive retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ↑ Richards, Tori (undated). "Michael Gargiulo: Alleged Hollywood Ripper – ". TruTV. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
- ↑ "Santa Monica — Michael Gargiulo: Alleged Hollywood Ripper — Crime Library". Archived from the original on March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- 1 2 Pelisek, Christine (November 25, 2010). "The Chiller Killer – Michael Gargiulo, Accused of Killing Ashton Kutcher's Girlfriend and Other L.A. Beauties, Got Close as the Helpful Air-Conditioning Repairman". LA Weekly. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
- ↑ Staff (November 18, 2010). "Family Says 'Hollywood Ripper' Killed in Chicago Area First". CBS News (via WBBM-TV). Retrieved August 3, 2012.
- ↑ Staff (undated). "Michael Gargiulo Under Arrest". CBS News. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
- ↑ "Serial Killer Who Allegedly Murdered Ashton Kutcher's Former Girlfriend Ashley Ellerin to Begin Trial". June 13, 2017.
- 1 2 "Ashton Kutcher appears in 'Hollywood Ripper' trial". BBC News. May 30, 2019.
- ↑ Hutchinson, Bill (May 10, 2019). "What to know about the 'Hollywood Ripper' 'thrill killer' trial of Michael Gargiulo". ABC News. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
- ↑ ""Hollywood Ripper" trial: Michael Gargiulo found guilty of murder and attempted murder". CBS News. August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
- ↑ "Jury finds Michael Gargiulo guilty in California serial killing case". Associated Press. August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019 – via NBC News.
- ↑ "'Hollywood Ripper' Michael Gargiulo found guilty of double murders". BBC News. August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
- ↑ Lloyd, Jonathan (August 15, 2019). "Michael Gargiulo Convicted in Brutal 'Hollywood Ripper' Killings". KNBC. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
- ↑ Waldrop, Theresa; Moon, Sarah (October 18, 2019). "Los Angeles jury recommends death penalty for the 'Hollywood Ripper'". CNN. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ↑ CBSLA Staff (July 16, 2021). "'Hollywood Ripper' Michael Gargiulo Sentenced To Death". KCBS-TV. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
- ↑ KNBC Staff and wire reports (July 16, 2021). "'Hollywood Ripper' Sentenced to Death for Killing, Mutilating Women". KNBC. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
- ↑ Dalton, Andrew (July 16, 2021). "'Boy Next Door Killer' gets death for murders of 2 women". Associated Press. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
- ↑ Granda, Carlos (July 16, 2021). "'Hollywood Ripper' serial killer sentenced to death for murdering, mutilating 2 SoCal women". KABC-TV. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
Further reading
- Richards, Tori (undated). "Michael Gargiulo: Alleged Hollywood Ripper". TruTv. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
- Murnick, Carolyn "The Hot One," Simon & Schuster Paperbacks