On the night of Feb. 21, 2001, “That ’70s Show” star Ashton Kutcher readied himself for a date with a new love interest – 22-year-old Ashley Ellerin. Later that evening, Ashley was brutally murdered in her Los Angeles residence by a suspected serial killer who would go un-caught for years.
Ashley was a student at L.A.’s Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising as well as a part-time stripper when she met Ashton.
A friend of the small-town girl from Northern California described her as “beautiful,” “fun,” and “spontaneous,” per CBS News.
Ashton and Ashley were introduced in December of 2000 through friends and had gone out a couple of times.
A few weeks before she died, the two reconnected at a housewarming party and made plans to go out again.
The pair planned to attend a Grammys after-party together, but when Ashton showed up at Ashley’s Hollywood home around 10:45 pm, his knock at her door went unanswered.
Noticing that Ashley’s car was in the driveway, Ashton assumed that his date was upset with him for his tardiness and refused to open the door. He peered through the window and saw what he suspected was spilled red wine on the carpet (considering Ashley had thrown a party the night before).
After a few more attempts to enter the home, Ashton left.
The next morning, police found Ashley’s body was discovered and she had had been brutally stabbed over 50 times. She was pronounced dead at 9:28 a.m.
Ashton appeared in court on Wednesday to testify in the ongoing murder trial for Ashley, who prosecutors believe was killed by “Hollywood Ripper” Michael Gargiulo. Gargiulo has pleaded not guilty on all counts.
The 43-year-old has been accused in the killings of two women and the attempted murder of another. Prosecutors have estimated that this trial will last roughly six months, according to E! News.
Watch here for more details on the case:
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