The notorious ‘Hollywood Ripper’ has been handed down a death sentence for the brutal killings of two women, including the girlfriend of actor Ashton Kutcher, as well as an attempted murder.

Michael Gargiulo faced the verdict in August 2019 by a California jury, but due to procedural delays and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the sentencing was delayed.

The case garnered widespread attention, notably because one of the victims, Ashley Ellerin, had plans to meet Kutcher on the night she was tragically slain.

Kutcher himself gave testimony during the trial proceedings.

Despite Gargiulo’s claims of innocence, prosecutors painted him as a deceptive killer who masqueraded as a friendly neighbor and handyman before perpetrating heinous acts of violence in the victims’ homes.

Dubbed as ‘The Boy Next Door Killer’, Gargiulo’s crimes were denounced as “vicious and terrifying” by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry P Fidler during the emotional sentencing, where the victims’ families shed tears.

Judge Fidler remarked on how death and devastation seemed to follow Gargiulo wherever he went, underscoring the gravity of his actions.

One of the murders Gargiulo was convicted of was the 2001 killing of Ashley Ellerin, a 22-year-old fashion design student who was brutally attacked in her Hollywood residence while getting ready for her date with Kutcher.

Recounting his experience, Kutcher shared that upon arriving at Ellerin’s home and noticing bloodstains, he initially mistook them for spilled wine, only to discover the grisly reality of the scene.

Ellerin succumbed to 47 stab wounds.

Through tearful testimony, Michael Ellerin, the victim’s father, expressed the profound grief and prolonged quest for justice that his family endured, evoking the haunting aftermath of Ashley’s untimely demise.

Gargiulo was also found guilty of the 2005 murder of Maria Bruno, a 32-year-old mother-of-four, in El Monte, where Bruno suffered mutilation post-mortem.

Additionally, he was convicted of attempting to murder Michelle Murphy in 2008.

Michelle Murphy, who bravely fought off Gargiulo during the assault in her Santa Monica apartment, recounted the enduring fear she faces when alone, echoing the deep scars left by the tragic losses of the other women.

As Gargiulo’s sentencing loomed, Michelle Murphy questioned the fairness of one individual’s malevolent actions inflicting lasting devastation on so many lives, reflecting on the profound impact of the atrocities.

A former air conditioner repairman, bouncer, and aspiring actor, Gargiulo lamented before the sentencing that his defense team had obstructed his desire to testify, protesting what he perceived as an unjust path to death row.

With his impending extradition to Illinois regarding a past homicide case, Gargiulo faces further legal repercussions, as authorities probe the possibility of additional victims linked to his criminal history.

While California’s capital punishment practices have been dormant since 2006 under Governor Gavin Newsom’s moratorium, the judiciary anticipates a potential resumption of executions in the future, casting a shadow over Gargiulo’s fate.