‘Hollywood Ripper’ Michael Gargiulo is sentenced to death for murder of Ashton Kutcher’s ex-girlfriend and second woman
A MAN dubbed the "Hollywood Ripper" was sentenced to death on Friday for murdering two women, including Ashton Kutcher's then-girlfriend.
Michael Gargiulo's crimes were "vicious and frightening," according to Superior Court Judge Larry P. Fidler who sentenced the 45-year-old to death.
Gargiulo was convicted in August 2019 for murdering Ashley Ellerin, 22, in 2001 and Maria Bruno, 32, in 2005 - but at his sentencing, he argued he shouldn't have been convicted.
"I'm innocent. I've been framed by tunnel-vision detectives," Gargiulo said.
Daniel Nardoni, one of Gargiulo's lawyers, objected to the sentence, saying "it's not right to execute a mentally ill person."
The impact of the stab wounds had nearly decapitated her.
She was set to go on a date with Kutcher that night, who was then an up-and-coming actor.
In testimony given at Gargiulo's trial, Kutcher said he was late to pick up Ellerin but had been calling her repeatedly to let her know.
It wasn't until he got to her Hollywood Hills door that Kutcher thought he had been stood up when she didn't answer - but she had been killed instead.
Kutcher testified that he looked through her window to see what he thought was red wine on the floor, thinking she had left already without him.