Once Upon A Crime In Hollywood

In the series finale, David Pearce faces a jury for his alleged role in the deaths of Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, and the alleged sexual assault of seven other women. We speak to the lead prosecutor of the case, L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Catherine Mariano; and James Queally from the L.A. Times to break down the trial.

With David Pearce in custody for the deaths of Christy and Hilda, as well as seven additional sexual assault charges, the trial is set for January 6, 2025. We speak to experts in DNA testing, sexual assault investigations and criminal trials to discuss how the case will play out. Plus, the final word from the families of Christy and Hilda, as we look ahead to the trial and the impact the case has had on them.

To donate to the Road To Justice For Christy Lee Giles Family, go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/76w4e-christy-giless-parents-expenses-to-court-dates

With David Pearce and Brandt Osborn charged for the deaths of Christy and Hilda, the investigation begins to reveal troubling details about Pearce’s past, and a string of very similar accusations dating back to 2007. A grand jury indicts Pearce for the murder charges, with seven additional women testifying about alleged sexual assaults by Pearce. Plus, we hear testimony from perhaps the most important witness in this case, Michael Ansbach, who was there the night Christy and Hilda died.

The investigation into Christy and Hilda’s deaths starts to heat up. Christy’s husband Jan begins tracking down information about the location Christy was last known to be. Police visit the apartment of David Pearce, who denies any involvement in the womens’ deaths. As Jan attempts to retrace Christy’s steps, surveillance footage captures Pearce, Christy, and Hilda coming back to Pearce’s apartment that night.  Pearce is eventually arrested and charged with the deaths of both women. His roommate, Brandt Osborne, is also charged with two counts of being an accessory after the fact. We discuss the details around what happened on that tragic night, and what we know so far about David Pearce.

Girls night out in Los Angeles. 24-year-old Christy Giles and 26-year-old Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola head to a warehouse party in East L.A., where they meet David Pearce. Witnesses say Pearce offered them cocaine, and the group heads back to Pearce’s apartment. The next day, both women are dropped off at separate hospitals suffering from a drug overdose. As the families of both women deal with the devastating news, Christy’s husband, Jan notices her phone pinged to an unknown location. We speak to Jan and Christy’s parents about how the tragic day played out, as well as Hilda’s family, who were with her in hospital while she was in a coma. Plus, a renowned expert on drug-facilitated assault cases discusses the initial facts of the investigation.

The Hollywood Ripper trial shifts its focus to the two California murders – Ashley Ellerin and Maria Bruno. Ashton Kutcher, the most famous witness in the trial, takes the stand to detail the night he went to pick up Ellerin before she was found dead. Michael Gargiulo’s defense team hammers Ellerin’s former apartment manager about his version of events the night of her murder, and several of Ashley’s friends speak about their interactions with Gargiulo and his apparent obsession with her. Neighbors of Maria Bruno also take the stand, as well as her estranged husband Irving Bruno, who is grilled by the defense about his actions the night of her murder. As the trial begins to wrap up, psychological experts are brought in to assess Gargiulo’s state of mind, and the jury is finally left to make a decision on his guilt, sanity, and potential sentence for the three attacks.

The Hollywood Ripper trial begins nearly 28 years after the murder of Tricia Pacaccio. Michael Gargiulo is on trial for the murders of Ashley Ellerin and Maria Bruno, as well as the attempted murder of Michelle Murphy. Due to California law allowing “prior bad acts” evidence to be introduced, prosecutors also detail the murder of Tricia Pacaccio to show a pattern of behavior and the eerie similarities between each of the attacks. Michelle Murphy, the lone survivor, also testifies at the trial. We speak to detectives who worked on the case, plus former L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Joshua Ritter about key aspects of the trial, and the most impactful witnesses in the attack on Michelle Murphy, and the murder of Tricia Pacaccio.

With no suspects in Maria Bruno’s murder, L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy Detective Mark Lillienfeld continues the search. Michael Gargiulo marries, then moves to Santa Monica, California, with his wife. Across the alleyway, 26-year-old Michelle Murphy lived in an apartment nearby. One night, Murphy woke up with a man on top of her, stabbing her repeatedly with a knife. She manages to kick off the attacker, who cuts himself in the struggle and flees the apartment. When police arrive, they find blood at the crime scene that matches Michael Gargiulo, and he’s eventually arrested for the attack. When L.A. County Sheriff’s detectives who were investigating Maria Bruno’s murder find out, they search Gargiulo’s old apartment in El Monte and find a key piece of evidence. With Gargiulo now in custody, CBS 48 Hours airs a special about Tricia Pacaccio’s murder in Cook County, which leads to a break in the case. We speak with CBS correspondent Maureen Maher about the special, plus former Santa Monica Police lieutenant Darrell Lowe about the attack on Michelle Murphy, and Mark Lillienfeld details the search of Gargiulo’s El Monte apartment and a controversial undercover operation conducted while Gargiulo was in custody.

After Cook County’s State’s Attorney chose not to prosecute, Michael Gargiulo is once again a free man. He moves into an apartment in El Monte, California with his girlfriend, where a 32-year-old woman named Maria Bruno moves in across the complex. Less than two weeks after she moves in, Maria Bruno is killed. Her estranged husband, Irving, finds her stabbed, mutilated, and left for dead in her own bed, just hours after the two had been out the night prior. In a chilling 911 call, Irving describes the scene to police. Mark Lillienfeld, a detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, is assigned to the case. We speak to Det. Lillienfeld about the crime scene, witness statements from people who lived in the apartment, and a crucial piece of evidence left at the crime scene: a blue medical bootie with drops of blood on it.

Cook County detectives are looking for Michael Gargiulo in California, and connect with L.A.P.D. homicide detective Tom Small to help locate him. Armed with a search warrant, detectives track him to an apartment listed under his girlfriend’s name, and arrest him. They submit his DNA for testing and get a match with the DNA collected from Tricia Pacaccio’s fingernail clippings. When the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office is presented with the evidence, they decide not to charge Gargiulo due to the possibility of the DNA being obtained by “casual contact”. We speak with DNA expert Kristen Mittelman and former L.A. County prosecutor Joshua Ritter on the decision by Cook County’s State’s Attorney not to prosecute Gargiulo. Plus, Tom Small tells us how the Pacaccio family reacted to the news.