Serial Killer Returned To IL To Face Charges In Glenview Teen's 1993 Slaying

COOK COUNTY, IL — Sentenced to death in 2021 for murders he was convicted of in California, Michael Gargiulo is now back in Illinois to face charges related to the 1993 murder of Glenview 18-year-old Tricia Pacaccio.

The 48-year-old Glenview native, known as the "Hollywood Ripper," appeared in Cook County court Friday, more than 13 years after he was initially charged with Pacaccio's murder. In 2021, Gargiulo, a graduate of Glenbrook South, was sentenced to death for the murder of two women and the attempted murder of another in California.

"The arrest and prosecution of Michael Gargiulo marks a crucial moment in our pursuit of justice for Tricia Pacaccio," Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart said in a statement. "While nothing can erase the pain of her loss, we remain committed to the Pacaccio family and are grateful that they can finally see this case move forward."

Gargiulo is currently in the Cook County Jail and is due back in court on Sept. 20.

RELATED: Death Sentence For Man Charged In 1993 Pacaccio Killing

In August 1993, detectives from the Cook County Sheriff's Office opened an investigation into the murder of Pacaccio, who was a recent high school graduate at the time and was found stabbed several times on the doorstep of her family's home in unincorporated Glenview.

During the subsequent investigation, police learned Gargiulo was a family friend and neighbor of the victim. In 2003, local law enforcement was able to link Gargiulo to DNA found under Pacaccio's fingerprints, but charges in the case were not approved at the time.

Gargiulo was eventually charged in Pacaccio's murder in July 2011. In May of that year, "48 Hours" ran a segment on Pacaccio, and Patch interviewed host Maureen Maher for an article about the case. After the program aired, Patch received a news tip in the comments section of the article from a man who said Gargiulo had confessed to Pacaccio’s murder — and passed that information along to the Cook County Sheriff's Office.

In 2019, Gargiulo was convicted of first-degree murder in the Feb. 22, 2001, slaying of 22-year-old Ashley Ellerin in her Hollywood bungalow hours before she was set to meet up with actor Ashton Kutcher, who took the witness stand in the case. Gargiulo was also convicted of the Dec. 1, 2005, killing of Maria Bruno, a 32-year-old mother of four young children, in her El Monte apartment, as well as the attempted murder of a woman who was stabbed in her Santa Monica apartment in April 2008.

RELATED:

• 'Hollywood Ripper' Serial Killer To Be Sentenced Friday
• Case Of 'Hollywood Ripper', Glenview Native Featured On TV Show
• 'Hollywood Ripper' Michael Gargiulo Faces Families Of Victims
• Accused Serial Killer Charged in Tricia Pacaccio Cold Case Murder