Tag Archives: rights

Ashton Kutcher took the witness stand on Wednesday and testified in the trial of an alleged serial killer nicknamed the “Hollywood Ripper.” We know that sounds like the plot of the actor’s next movie, but this was very much a real-life situation. And a horribly scary one at that. The man on trial is named Michael Gargiulo. He faces two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of two women, including Kutcher’s friend Ashley Ellerin. Kutcher explained in court how he had planned to meet up with Ellerin way back on the night of February 21, 2001 after the two had met the previous December. Instead, however, prosecutors say Gargiulo snuck into the woman’s residence and stabbed her 47 times while she was getting ready to go on what would have been her first date with the star.  According to Kutcher (under oath), he and Ellerin had spoken on the phone earlier on the aforementioned date to finalize their plans. However, he was unable to get back in touch with her later that day and eventually showed up around 10:30 p.m. to her home — but nobody answered the door when he knocked. Kutcher testified he “just assumed she had gone out with her friend and bailed.” This made sense to Kutcher because he had arrived a little bit late after watching the Grammy Awards at a friend’s house. “I assumed she had left for the night and I was late and she was upset,” he said. The authorities, though, believe Ellerin had been murdered prior to Kutcher showing up on her doorstep. Kutcher said he looked through the window and saw what he thought were wine stains on the floor, but did not find that alarming and left. “I remember the next day after I heard about what happened, I went to the detectives and said, ‘My fingerprints are on the door,'” Kutcher testified, adding: “I was freaking out.” Kutcher testified for about 40 minutes… with Ellerin’s father present the whole time. As for the horrible night in question, Ellerin’s roommate found her dead in the hallway outside her bathroom. Prosecutors allege Gargiulo, whom they called a “serial sexual-thrill killer,” entered the house and stabbed Ellerin 47 times. He has pleaded not guilty to two charges of murder and one of attempted murder in attacks between 2001 and 2008. He is charged separately with killing an 18-year-old Glenview, Illinois, woman, and is awaiting trial there for that incident. The 41-year-old actor, who is now married to actress Mila Kunis, is one of more than 100 witnesses who have or are scheduled to testify in the murder trial of 43-year-old Gargiulo. He lived right down the street from Ellerin and met her in the fall of 2000 when he asked if she needed help fixing a flat tire outside her home. Friends have said Gargiulo would show up at this residence without an invitation and was often seen in the street, surveilling Ellerin. Lawyers say Kutcher’s testimony is part of the “chronology of this case” that shows “there was a narrow, very narrow window of opportunity for someone to get into the house and murder Ashley, and whoever that person was must have been watching.” These same attorneys are seeking the death penalty for Gargiulo.

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Ashton Kutcher Testifies in Serial Killer Case, Says He Was "Freaking Out" After Friend was Murdered