Ashton Kutcher To Testify In Slain Girlfriend’s Murder Trial

Ashton Kutcher will testify next year in the trial of alleged serial killer Michael Gargiulo, who is accused of murdering the actor’s former girlfriend.

In 2001, Ashton was in the middle of his successful run on TV’s That ’70s Show when he began dating Ashley Ellerin, a 22-year-old student, model and part-time stripper. A few month later she was stabbed to death in her Hollywood apartment. Cops say Ellerin was one of at least three women killed by Garguilo between 1993-2008.

“He would meet and befriend and associate these women and form a superficial relationship with them — and ultimately they would end up dead,” says Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Mark Lillienfeld.

Ashley tragically became a casual acquaintance of Gargiulo after he moved into her neighborhood in 2000. It wasn’t long before the accused madmen was watching her almost every move, says a roommate. On the last night of her life, Ashley tried to organize a romantic evening for she and Ashton – which the actor fatefully turned down – before she was attacked and killed in her home later that evening.

After trying to call her several times, the young actor drove to his girlfriend’s house later that night but she didn’t answer the door. According to his testimony, he peered through the window and saw what he thought was a pool of wasted red wine on the floor. He left, thinking that his date was angry with him and punishing him for not wanting to go out. The following day Ashton learned that the “red wine” had actually been blood and that his girlfriend’s dead body had been lying just out of sight after being stabbed 35 times.

Gargiulo, now 34, was arrested in 2008 after DNA evidence linked him to the murder. He is also accused of the murder of two other women, and the attempted murder of another.

Ashton is due to appear in court next year to give his testimony and he’s terrified about having to relive the horrific ordeal, a friend of Ashton and wife Demi tells Star Magazine.

“He’s worried sick about taking the witness stand. He’s having horrible dreams and trouble sleeping — he can’t stop thinking about all the ‘What Ifs.’”