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She was involved with Ashton Kutcher when she died.
By Alison Cerri — Written on Apr 17, 2019
A trial that may have been over 25 years in the making is finally getting started. Jury selection has begun for the trial centered around a man accused of murdering three women and attempting to kill a fourth from 1993 to 2008.
Michael Gargiulo, originally from Illinois, was an air conditioning repairman. Since he was linked to the murders, however, he has not refuted being called a murderer. Rather, he has confessed to being a serial killer. He has claimed to be a serial killer. He said he murdered up to 10 other women.
There is still time until the trial officially begins. Jury selection is underway, according to a court clerk at the Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles.
“Jury selection is due to start on Monday morning after the questionnaires have been completed. We are not expecting opening statements or evidence to be heard until early May.”
One of Gargiulo’s alleged victims is Ashley Ellerin. Her case went cold for a few years until after Gargiulo was arrested in 2008. Her name is more high-profile than most, as she has some Hollywood connections.
Who was Ashley Ellerin? Below are details about the young woman and her horrific death.
1. She dated Ashton Kutcher.
Ellerin was dating the That 70s Show star when she died. Kutcher was 23 years old at the time.
He has not spoken much about his early relationship with Ellerin. The media did not press him to talk about her after the death, and he has remained mum on the subject nearly twenty years later.
The young actor, however, provided a testimony to police about the night of her death. He had received a phone call from her earlier in the night, trying to set a date for them that night. Kutcher turned her down — but he said he would visit her later.
He then tried to call her two times throughout the night, fearing that she was upset. He blamed the dropped calls on bad reception.
He then drove over to her place, a bungalow just behind Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, at 10:45 p.m. Her lights were on, and her maroon BMW was parked outside. Kutcher then knocked on the door. Ellerin did not answer. He called out to her — still no answer. Kutcher then peered through the front window. He told police he saw red on the floor, which he assumed to be red wine stains leading toward the bedroom. Kutcher also assumed his girlfriend was upset and ignoring him — so he left.
2. She was a fashion student.
Ellerin was attending the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles at the time of her death. She was 22 years old.
3. She was also a part-time stripper.
Carolyn Murnick, a friend of Ellerin since childhood, wrote The Hot One: A Memoir of Friendship, Sex, and Murder recounting her relationship with Ellerin. In the book, published in 2017, Murnick pins Ellerin as “the hot one,” irresistible to men. Ellerin was a student and makeup counter employee by day, and a part-time stripper by night. According to the book, Ellerin dabbled in crystal meth, and also was involved with an older man who was paying her car lease.
4. She died on the night of the Grammys in February 2001.
Another possibility that ran through Kutcher’s mind on the night of Feb. 21, when he saw the “red wine” on Ellerin’s floor, was that a Grammy night celebration had gotten a little messy.
Instead, on the night of the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards, Ellerin was murdered in a horrific fashion. Police documents note that Ellerin was stabbed more than 35 times. Her body was nearly decapitated.
5. Her alleged killer has been called “the Hollywood Ripper.”
Ashton Kutcher wearing a Chicago Bears hat.
Michael Gargiulo, 43, evaded authorities for years after Ellerin’s murder. He was arrested in 2008 for the attempted murder of Michelle Murphy, his neighbor.
Police then connected Gargiulo to the murder of Tricia Pacaccio on Aug. 14, 1993, in his hometown of Glenview, Illinois. She was stabbed 47 times.
Then Gargiulo moved to California in 1998, where he allegedly committed two murders and attempted a third. Authorities believe Ellerin was his second victim, then Maria Bruno his third in 2005. Burno was stabbed 17 times in her home in El Monte, California.
As the media began reporting about Gargiulo as details came out about his alleged gruesome murders, they began calling him the “Hollywood Killer,” or the “Chiller Killer.”
Gargiulo had connections with Ellerin: she was his neighbor, as Pacaccio had been, and he had done work on her heater before. Ellerin’s friends told investigators early in her case that Gargiulo should be a person of interest, as he would show up at her house during strange hours and sit in his car at the end of her street.
Alison Cerri is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture and relationship topics.