Serial Killer May Have Murdered Ashton Kutcher's Girlfriend
Detectives believe same suspect may have murdered nine other women
Friday, Mar 6, 2009 | Updated 3:18 PM PST
Santa Monica air conditioner repairman Michael T. Gargiulo, 32, is the prime suspect in 10 murders, including the slaying of fashion student Ashley Ellerin, the late girlfriend of actor Ashton Kutcher.
Los Angeles, Calif.--Los Angeles County homicide detectives Thursday were trying to determine if a suspect in the 2001 killing of Ashton Kutcher's girlfriend could be the same man responsible for the murders of nine other women.
Air conditioner repairman Michael T. Gargiulo, 32, already faces an attempted murder charge and two murder charges, including the slaying of fashion student Ashley Ellerin, the late girlfriend of actor Ashton Kutcher.
Thursday night Los Angeles County homicide detective Mark Lillienfeld told The Channel 4 News that Gargiulo is the prime suspect in ten murders. Lillienfeld released photos of a woman he wanted to identify and locate. Her images were pulled off Gargiulo's home computer.
Lillienfeld noted the common denominators in the murders were the killer used a knife in each attack and that his victim's resembled each other.
Gargiulo was arrested in June 2008, on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with a Santa Monica knife attack in which a woman fought off an intruder who stabbed her repeatedly after breaking into her home late at night.
Gargiulo was living in Santa Monica when he was arrested. Lillienfield said Gargiulo came to California from Chicago, Illinois.
DNA collected at the Santa Monica attack scene linked Gargiulo to the crime through a national database. DNA had previously been obtained in an Illinois case.
Lillienfeld said his homicide team has been piecing together evidences that may link Gargiulo to ten murders.
