Man dubbed ‘Boy Next Door Killer’ found sane by jury

LOS ANGELES — Jurors have found that a man prosecutors dubbed “The Boy Next Door Killer” was sane when he fatally stabbed two women and tried to kill a third inside their Southern California homes.

The Los Angeles jury reached the decision Thursday after the sanity phase of the trial of 43-year-old Michael Gargiulo.

Last week the same jury found Gargiulo guilty of the 2005 murder of 32-year-old Maria Bruno in El Monte and the 2001 murder of 22-year-old Ashley Ellerin, who was waiting at her Hollywood home before a planned date with actor Ashton Kutcher. Gargiulo was also convicted of the 2008 attempted murder of Michelle Murphy.

Gargiulo’s attorneys, citing expert trial testimony, argued that he suffers from dissociative identity disorder, previously known as multiple personality disorder.

Jurors will return Sept. 9 for the trial’s penalty phase.

Katie Campione, The Associated Press

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