Sentenced to death in 2019 for murdering two California women, Michael Gargiulo (seen here in a 2019 trial photo) appeared in a Skokie courtroom Friday on charges he stabbed to death 18-year-old Tricia Pacaccio outside her Glenview home on Aug. 14, 1993.
AP
Michael Gargiulo
Convicted serial killer and death row inmate Michael Gargiulo — charged 13 years ago with fatally stabbing 18-year-old Tricia Pacaccio outside her Glenview home in 1993 — made his first court appearance on the charges Friday.
Citing a “trail of devastation” that stretched from Illinois to California — where he received death sentences for the stabbing deaths of two women and the attempted murder of a third — Cook County Judge Anthony John Calabrese ordered the 48-year-old defendant into custody.
Known as “The Hollywood Ripper,” Gargiulo was extradited from California on Thursday. Claiming he had suffered two brain hemorrhages and a stroke, he wore sunglasses during a hearing at the Skokie courthouse. He was represented by Assistant Cook County Public Defender Peter Benesh.
Prosecutors say Pacaccio’s father discovered her body about 9:19 a.m. on Aug. 14, 1993, at the side entrance to the family’s home.
Pacaccio, who graduated from Glenbrook South High School earlier that summer, was stabbed 12 times, mostly in the upper body, said Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Ethan Holland.
The night before the murder, she and some friends participated in a scavenger hunt around Glenview, Holland said. About 1 a.m., she returned home after dropping off a friend, parked the car but never made it inside, Holland said.
Police found her purse and keys at the scene, he said. There was no sign of a robbery.
According to authorities, Gargiulo was a friend and classmate of Pacaccio’s brother.
A witness testified to accompanying Gargiulo to dispose of knives several days after the murder, Holland said. The witness said Gargiulo feared police would frame him for the crime, according to Holland.
Gargiulo’s criminal background includes a 1997 burglary conviction in Cook County. He was 21 at the time, Holland said.
The defendant subsequently moved to California where — in 2008 — he was charged with the 2001 stabbing death of 22-year-old Ashley Ellerin; the 2005 stabbing death of 32-year-old Maria Bruno and the 2008 attempted murder of a 27-year-old woman. All the attacks took place in the victims’ homes, Holland said.
He was convicted of the California crimes in 2019 and sentenced to death two years later.
In 2011, after Cook County prosecutors announced DNA evidence linked Gargiulo to Pacaccio’s murder, a judge issued a warrant for his arrest.
“The arrest and prosecution of Michael Gargiulo marks a crucial moment in our pursuit of justice for Tricia Pacaccio,” said Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart in a prepared 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.”
The defendant next appears in court on Sept. 20.