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Tom Small will always remember the second he encountered Ashley Ellerin’s physique in her rented Hollywood bungalow.
On the night time of Feb. 21, 2001, the 22-year-old had simply gotten out of the bathe and was about to prepare for an evening out. She was stabbed to demise.
The California resident wasn’t discovered till the subsequent morning by her roommate, who had simply returned to their residence. Ellerin’s physique was outdoors the doorway to the lavatory.
“I by no means forgot the brutality,” Small, a retired murder detective, instructed Fox Information Digital. “I’ve seen a whole lot of homicides through the years. Every type. None of them are fairly. However this one stood out. She was so younger, and the way in which she was mutilated, it was simply vicious. It was one of many extra vicious assaults I believe I’ve seen.
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Ashley Ellerin was murdered at her Hollywood, Calif., dwelling Feb. 21, 2001, simply earlier than she was to attend post-Grammy Awards events with actor Ashton Kutcher. Kutcher later instructed police she did not reply when he went to select up the 22-year-old trend scholar. (Courtesy Los Altos H.S./ZUMApress.com)
“And the way in which she was positioned, it was obvious that the suspect wished us to seek out her. Whoever did this solely had one intention — to inflict bodily hurt. To inflict ache. That’s all he wished. He wished complete management.”
Small is talking out in “As soon as Upon a Crime in Hollywood,” a true-crime collection hosted by Kelly Hyman. Season 2 focuses on the case of Michael Gargiulo, generally known as “The Hollywood Ripper” and “The Boy Subsequent Door Killer.” It options new interviews with the investigators concerned, in addition to key specialists.
“I wished the general public to know that these sorts of persons are on the market,” Small stated. “In my occupation, you see a whole lot of murders and a whole lot of stabbings. However the intention of this was strictly to kill and destroy. It was brutal. It sticks with you.”
Ashley Ellerin’s homicide is being explored within the true-crime podcast, “As soon as Upon a Crime in Hollywood.” (Al Seib/LA Occasions Pool/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
Ellerin was stabbed 47 instances. Twelve of the injuries had been thought-about deadly. She had quite a few defensive wounds on her palms and proper forearm.
“She was hit within the entrance, again, higher physique, decrease physique and throat,” Small recalled. “This individual needed to be on high of her, get actual shut and watch her go. I didn’t know what sort of individual this was besides it’s a satan. It’s evil.”
Ellerin, born in Maryland, had desires of dwelling in “the massive metropolis,” stated Small. Like many others, she wished to interrupt into the Hollywood scene. Identified for her magnificence, Ellerin shortly related with friends concerned within the leisure trade.
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Ashley Ellerin’s dwelling (David McNew/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
“She had no enemies, however she had one million pals and associates,” Small stated. “Some had been within the leisure enterprise. Others had been private pals she grew up with. There have been a whole lot of suspects to select from. I began parolees as a result of, in that space of Hollywood, particularly in these years, we had a number of crimes. We had avenue robberies, a whole lot of rapes. However this didn’t have a sexual part. It was extra of the infliction of the ache and management.
“She had a number of acquaintances,” Small continued. “She was a younger, handsome woman who was fascinating to a whole lot of guys. I keep in mind I gave her landlord a fairly dangerous time. … We had been glad that we may rule him out. But it surely took some time.”
On the night time Ellerin was killed, she had plans with Ashton Kutcher. The previous “That ‘70s Present” star later testified in court docket that he arrived late for his date with Ellerin and regarded into her home when there was no reply on the door. The actor noticed what he thought was spilled wine on the carpet. After noticing her automotive within the driveway, Kutcher thought she was mad at him for arriving late. Assuming Ellerin was purposely not answering the door, he left.
Ashton Kutcher testified in court docket. (Frederick M. Brown)
Police had been stumped and had no concrete leads. Nonetheless, a few of Ellerin’s pals recalled a “creepy heating and air man” named Mike. Nobody knew the place he lived. His automotive was unknown. However, in some way, he would present up at Ellerin’s home events.
“She may have 60 individuals there, and lots of people would take a look at this Mike and go, ‘Who the hell is that man? How does she know him?’” Small defined. “[According to friends], Ashley would form of blow it off and say, ‘He checked out my furnace and thinks he’s a pal. He’s innocent.’”
A few week earlier than the slaying, Ellerin hosted a birthday bash for one in every of her girlfriends. Buddies stated “Mike” was there and was “laser-focused” on her.
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Ashton Kutcher noticed what he thought had been wine stains inside Ashley Ellerin’s dwelling. (Frederick M. Brown)
“One of many witnesses described how he was like a laser beam,” Small stated. “If she moved from one room to the subsequent, he would change his place, so he may maintain his eyes on her. He additionally walked all through the home. It regarded like he was seeing the structure.”
Based on Small, “Mike” out of the blue disappeared after Ellerin’s homicide. He was by no means seen within the neighborhood once more regardless of being a fixture. He had no pals who had been interested in his whereabouts. He was simply the “bizarre” man who out of the blue vanished.
Based on the prosecution, Ellerin first crossed paths with “Mike” a number of months earlier than her demise, E! Information reported. Based on the outlet, he lived close by and had supplied to repair a flat tire for Ellerin and her pal. He then gave them his enterprise card for air-con restore providers.
Michael Gargiulo’s mugshot. He was 32 on the time of the slayings. (Santa Monica Police Dept./ZUMApress.com)
After some digging, the Los Angeles Police Division obtained a reputation and driver’s license picture. It was Gargiulo.
In Cook dinner County, simply outdoors Chicago, Tricia Pacaccio’s mom was relentlessly hounding investigators. The 18-year-old was found within the morning hours of August 1993. She was stabbed repeatedly within the breast, chest and arm. Her case was chilly, and the heartbroken matriarch was determined for solutions. In 2002, new DNA expertise made it attainable for investigators to take a contemporary take a look at proof that was initially collected from the crime scene.
Detectives nonetheless had Gargiulo on their listing of suspects. Once they realized he had moved from Illinois to Los Angeles, they reached out to the LAPD. A DNA pattern was obtained and despatched to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab. It matched the DNA on Pacaccio’s fingernails.
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Detectives Tom Small (left) and Mark Lillienfeld stroll previous house No. 34, the place Michael Gargiulo stayed, throughout a jury website go to to the scene of the crime in El Monte, Calif., June 20, 2019, within the Individuals v. Michael Gargiulo case. (Frederic J. brown/AFP)
The Pacaccio household lived close to Gargiulo’s boyhood dwelling.
The Cook dinner County State Lawyer’s workplace refused to indict Gargiulo, the Chicago Tribune reported. Based on the outlet, prosecutors claimed the DNA may have been exchanged via informal contact. As for the LAPD, it had no bodily proof to attach Gargiulo to Ellerin’s homicide.
However Gargiulo wouldn’t be off the radar of police. In 2003, an ex-girlfriend alleged he punched her within the face and threatened to kill her, Oxygen.com reported. Based on the outlet, the pair met when she employed him to repair her air-con unit. She additionally claimed Gargiulo later stalked her, which prompted her to hunt a restraining order.
Sufferer images are proven as Michael Gargiulo seems in court docket for opening statements in his homicide trial Might 2, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Al Seib-Pool)
In 2005, Maria Bruno was discovered lifeless in her Los Angeles dwelling. The 32-year-old mom of 4’s throat was slashed, and he or she had a number of stab wounds. A blue surgical slipper was discovered on the crime scene. Small described it as a “thrill kill.”
In 2008, Michelle Murphy was attacked at her Santa Monica house. She was repeatedly stabbed within the chest however survived. Authorities stated Gargiulo minimize himself and left a path of blood. The DNA tied him to the opposite circumstances.
Gargiulo’s attorneys later contended in court docket that different males dedicated the murders of Bruno and Ellerin. They conceded their shopper had attacked Murphy however stated he was in a “fugue state” due to his persona dysfunction and didn’t know the place he was on the time.
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Protection attorneys strolling round earlier than the jury arrives to go to an proof website situated at 1229 twelfth Road in Santa Monica throughout the homicide trial of Michael Gargiulo June 19, 2019, in Los Angeles. (David McNew/Pool)
The protection additionally asserted that Ellerin was killed by one other man who was romantically linked to her and was jealous that she was about to go on a date with Kutcher.
However the info had been plain. Gargiulo lived close to Bruno, whom he “watched rigorously.” He was recognized for sporting blue surgical slippers. He was additionally left-handed. The murders had been dedicated by a left-handed assailant.
Gargiulo’s previous additionally surprised Small.
Michael Gargiulo’s house (David McNew/Pool)
“He beat his father up,” he defined. “He took a banquet desk and broke it over his sister’s again. There have been solely two individuals in his household that he had respect for. One was his mom. The opposite was his older brother, who’s a little bit of a dirtbag himself. I believe his father was afraid of him.”
In 2019, Gargiulo was convicted of two counts of homicide and one rely of tried homicide. He was sentenced to demise in 2021.
Small stated he was “relieved.”
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Michael Gargiulo was sentenced to demise. (Lucy Nicholson/AFP)
“He appreciated to look at demise,” stated Small. “This man deserves each little bit of what he’s going to get. He solely had one intention, which was to inflict ache. … One thing like this stays with you. It definitely stayed with me.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
‘Hollywood Ripper’ Michael Gargiulo ‘appreciated to look at demise’ after inflicting ache
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