CBS Ashley Ellerin photograph from CBS' "48 Hours Mystery"
Ashley Ellerin was a 22-year-old woman who was murdered in her home by “The Hollywood Ripper” AKA serial killer Michael Gargiulo. Ashley was originally from Los Altos, California and later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in fashion. She was prominent in the Los Angeles social scene in the early 2000s.
Ashley was neighbors with Michael Gargiulo and the two were friends. Gargiulo was able to become close with Ashley by acting as her air-conditioning repairman. Her friends became uncomfortable with Gargiulo and advised Ashley to stop hanging out with him as he seemed to be obsessed with her. He was spotted several times at her house when she wasn’t home and sitting in his car parked outside staring at her residence. Gargiulo is now on trial for her murder.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Ashley Ellerin Was Supposed to Hang out with Ashton Kutcher the Night of Her Murder
Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunchSAN FRANCISCO, CA – SEPTEMBER 05: Sound Ventures Founder Ashton Kutcher speaks onstage during Day 1 of TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2018 at Moscone Center on September 5, 2018 in San Francisco, California.
Ellerin was dating actor Ashton Kutcher at the time of her murder. The two had planned to hang out on February 21, 2001, the night of her murder, and spoke on the phone hours before the crime took place.
Ashley asked to attend a Grammy’s viewing party at Ashton’s friend’s house. The actor said no but told her he would come to her bungalow behind Grauman’s Chinese Theatre to hang out afterward. Ashton called Ashley after the party and when he received no answer he went to her house. He knocked on the door several times and when nobody answered he peered into the side window and saw what he believed to be red wine spilled on the floor but was actually blood. Believing she was mad at him for not inviting her to the party, he left and went home. Her body was found by her roommate, Justin Peterson, the next morning.
Kutcher hasn’t spoken to the press about the details of their relationship since the incident occurred. The 41-year-old actor has been named as a potential witness for the prosecution and will testify in the trial of Michael Gargiulo.
2. She Dated Actors Vin Diesel and Jeremy Sisto
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 22: Vin Diesel attends the Los Angeles World Premiere of Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Endgame” at the Los Angeles Convention Center on April 23, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
Ashley was reportedly dating the two actors before Ashton Kutcher. On an episode of 48 Hours Mystery, former friends Justin Peterson, Jennifer Disisto, and Chris Duran described Ashley as a prominent member of the social scene in Los Angeles where they all frequently partied.
Ashley dated Vin Diesel around the time he was filming the movie Pitch Black. She was also romantically involved with Law And Order’s Jeremy Sisto, who flew Ellerin to a film set in Toronto, Canada while he was filming 2001’s Angel Eyes.
3. She Was Studying Fashion in Los Angeles
FIDM.eduThe Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles Campus
At the time of her death, Ellerin was attending the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles. She had also taken classes at UCLA and was trying to break into the fashion industry.
4. Her Childhood Friend Wrote a Tell-All Book About Their Relationship
Amazon.comCover of “The Hot One: A Memoir of Friendship, Sex, and Murder” by Carloyn Murnick
Carolyn Murnick, Ellerin’s best childhood friend, wrote a book about their relationship titled “The Hot One: A Memoir of Friendship, Sex, and Murder.” In the book, Murnick describes how Ellerin was a makeup counter employee by day, and a stripper at the club Cheetah’s in Las Vegas by night.
Carolyn also alleges in her book that Ashley dabbled in crystal meth and was involved with some older men who were helping her pay her bills. An anonymous source who was close with the Ellerin family has called some of these details into question. Speaking with The Daily Mail, the source explained “She (Carolyn) didn’t really paint a great picture of Ashley and a lot of it was inconsistent. There’s an issue with some of the details. There was a lot of truth in Carolyn’s book but there were some facts where maybe Ashley misspoke or embellished.”
When asked to verify the details in the book, the anonymous source declined to comment.
5. She Went to High School in Los Altos, California Where She Was on the Water Polo and Swimming Teams
FacebookAerial view of Los Altos High School
Ashley Ellerin grew up in a small Silicon Valley town of Los Altos and attended Los Altos High School. According to he yearbook, she was on the water polo and swimming team.