The convicted killer of two women, including a 1996 Los Altos High School graduate, should die for his heinous crimes, a Los Angeles jury ruled Oct. 18 in the case of Michael Gargiulo.
The serial killer was found guilty Aug. 15 in the stabbing deaths and the attempted murder of a third woman. He is also due to stand trial in Illinois for the murder of another victim. Jurors also concluded Gargiulo was sane when he committed the brutal home-invasion crimes.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Gargiulo is scheduled to be sentenced at the end of February. If he does get the death penalty, Gargiulo may live his remaining days on death row. The state has not had a prisoner execution since 2006, and Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this year suspended the death penalty indefinitely.
In 2001, Gargiulo killed Ashley Ellerin, who grew up in Los Altos and also attended Foothill College. Gargiulo struck again in 2005, killing Maria Bruno.
He attempted to kill Michelle Murphy in 2008, but she managed to fight him off. Her struggle prompted Gargiulo to cut himself with his own weapon, leaving a trail of blood that proved vital in leading to his arrest that same year.
Gargiulo also faces extradition to Illinois to stand trial for the 1993 murder of another woman, Tricia Pacaccio.
Michael Ellerin, Ashley’s father, still lives in Los Altos and has served on the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission.
