WORLD Killing a pleasure for man, trial told

AN airconditioning repairman charged with murdering three women — one the ex-girlfriend of actor Ashton Kutcher — would “watch, shadow, stalk and hunt down” his victims before fatally stabbing them for sexual pleasure, a Los Angeles court has heard.

Michael Gargiulo’s trial yesterday began with a prosecutor outlining the California murders for jurors, calling the defendant “the boy next door killer” and his crimes “the methodical and systematic slaughter of women”.

“What you will hear is that Michael Gargiulo for almost 15 years was watching, always watching,” prosecutor Daniel Akemon told the jury.

“And his hobby was plotting the perfect opportunity to attack women with a knife in and around their homes.”

Gargiulo, 43, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and an attemptedmurder charge stemming from attacks in the Los Angeles area between 2001 and 2008, including the death of Kutcher’s former girlfriend, 22-year-old Ashley Ellerin.

Gargiulo was arrested in 2008 after DNA evidence linked him to one of the killings and a non-fatal attack.

He was separately charged with killing 18-year-old Illinois teenager Tricia Pacaccio whose father found her fatally stabbed on their family’s doorstep, with her house key still in hand.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Gargiulo’s lawyer Daniel Nardoni reminded jurors during his opening statement that his client is presumed innocent and said other men had better access and motive in the killings.

He also pointed out that no murder weapon has been found and no DNA evidence connected Gargiulo to the death of Ms Ellerin.

Gargiulo’s trial is expected to take six months.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IS THAT MICHAEL GARGIULO FOR ALMOST 15 YEARS WAS WATCHING, ALWAYS WATCHING

PROSECUTOR DANIEL AKEMON

Kutcher, who is married to Mila Kunis, is among the witnesses expected to take the stand. His ex-girlfriend was found dead in 2001 in her Hollywood Hills home.

Kutcher told police he went to pick up the fashion studentmodel for a post-Grammy Awards party, but she did not answer the door.

He checked a back window and spotted what he thought were red wine stains on the carpet and then left.

Her body was discovered the next day by a friend.

Another victim in the case, 32-year-old Maria Bruno, was found stabbed to death in her apartment in suburban El Monte in 2005.