| Intro | American alleged serial killer |
| Is |
Murderer Criminal Serial killer |
| From | United States of America |
| Type | Crime |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 15 February 1976, Glenview |
| Age: | 44 years |
Michael Thomas Gargiulo (born February 15, 1976) has been accused of being a serial killer nicknamed the “Hollywood Ripper”.
Description of alleged crimes
Gargiulo is accused of stabbing three women to death and attempting to murder a fourth. He is a native of Glenview, Illinois, where he may have stabbed his neighbor, 18-year-old Tricia Pacaccio, to death on her backdoor step. Her corpse was found by her father the morning after on August 14, 1993. She was stabbed 47 times. Gargiulo moved to Los Angeles in 1998, allegedly to escape scrutiny from police in Illinois, and is accused of two murders and an attempted murder in Southern California between 2001 and 2008.
On February 21, 2001, he allegedly stabbed Ashley Ellerin 47 times to death 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 that in some cases were up to six inches deep. According to detective Tom Small, one stab wound “actually penetrated the skull and took out a chunk of skull like a puzzle piece.” On the night she was killed, Ellerin had planned dinner, then drinks with actor Ashton Kutcher.
On December 1, 2005, Gargiulo allegedly stabbed his neighbor, Maria Bruno, to death at her home in El Monte, California. She was stabbed 17 times.
On April 28, 2008, Gargiulo allegedly attempted to murder his neighbor, Michelle Murphy, in her home in Santa Monica on April 28, 2008. She fought off the attack, and blood matching Gargiulo’s DNA was found at the scene.
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. Although Gargiulo is charged in the two California murders as well as the Pacaccio murder in Chicago, police have not linked him to any other murders. Gargiulo allegedly told authorities in the Los Angeles County Jail that just because 10 women were killed — and his DNA was present — doesn’t mean he murdered anyone, leading investigators to believe that there are more victims. Media in Los Angeles dubbed Gargiulo the “Hollywood Ripper” as well as the “Chiller Killer.” Gargiulo is being held at Los Angeles County Jail awaiting a capital murder trial. A pre-trial hearing was held June 9, 2017 in Los Angeles Superior Court with his trial scheduled to begin in October 2017. After delays, his trial began on May 2, 2019. In May 2019, actor Ashton Kutcher testified about the crimes.