‘Boy Next Door Killer’

found guilty of murdering Ashton Kutcher´s date

An aspiring actor dubbed the “Boy Next Door Killer” has been found guilty of fatally stabbing two women, one of whom was killed the night she was planning to meet actor Ashton Kutcher for drinks.

The jury also found Michael Gargiulo guilty of the attempted murder of a woman who fought back and sent him fleeing, leading to his arrest in all three cases and a fourth for which he is awaiting trial in Illinois.

Gargiulo, 43, was convicted in the murder of 22-year-old Ashley Ellerin in her Hollywood home in 2001 on a night when she was about to meet Kutcher, who testified at the trial.

Her father was in court for the verdict. Gargiulo also was convicted of the 2005 murder of 32-year old Maria Bruno in her El Monte home, and with the 2008 attempted murder of Michelle Murphy in a stabbing attack in her Santa Monica apartment.

Jurors who deliberated for three days also found Gargiulo guilty of several special-circumstance allegations, including lying in wait and multiple murders, which make him eligible for the death penalty or life in prison with no possibility of parole.

A final phase of the trial is set to start on Tuesday, when jurors will determine whether Gargiulo was sane at the time of the killings. Gargiulo showed no reaction when the verdict was read.

His lawyers declined comment outside court, while prosecutors and victims’ family members did not speak to reporters. A native of the Chicago area who moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s, Gargiulo had acting aspirations and worked as an air conditioning repairman and Hollywood nightclub bouncer at the time of the attacks.