the man who prosecutors call the hollywood ripper, michael gargiulo, has pled not guilty to her grislyher attacks just like it >> all of the victims were young, outgoing women. >> reporter: a rising star at the time of the homicide, kutcher learned of the murder the next day in court, kutcher said he was freaking out when detectives told him what happened here. his fingerprints were on the door years later, after the suspect's dna was matched to another stabbing victim, michael gargiulo was linked to ellerin's homicide police called him a serial psychosexual thrill killer who now faces the death penalty. miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> still ahead, a florida teacher lands in hot water for handing out the wrong kind of fs, and a comedy legend lives on ngthtoy story 4 is briing e late don rickles back to the silver screen. ♪ ♪ ♪ walgreens save your skin today you don't see psoriasis. you see clear skin. you see me. but if you saw me before cosentyx... ♪ i was covered. it was awful. but i didn't give up. i kept fighting. i got clear skin with cosentyx. 3 years and counting. clear skin can

as ashton arrived for his testimony in the trial of 43yearold michael gargiulo, an alleged serial killerubbed the "hollywood ripper." >> mr. kutcher is part of the chronology of the case. >> prosecutors say gargiulo murdered three women more than a decade ago, including ashley ellerin, who was dating ashton at the time of her death. today was the first time kutcher spoke publicly about the case. "e.t." producer brendon geoffrion was there. >> ashton sporting a mustache appeared in court for nearly who minutes. he was well spoken and calm while describing the day ashley was murdered. on grammy night, 2001, kutcher said he was late to pick her up for a party. she didn't answer her door or her phone. he asurmd that he was too left and ashley had already left. >> mr. kutcher looked in the window and thought he saw spilled wine on the floor. we believe the evidence will now show that was actually blood. >> police say gargiulo, who lived near ashley, entered her hollywood home and stabbed her more than 47 times. >> his hobby was plotting the perfect opportunity to attack women with a knife. >>

micha michael gargiulo killed four women with a knife killing them. has been covering this story for more than a decade. she's outside the cook county prosecutor's off in chicago. >> reporter: why am i standing in front of a county jail in chicago instead of the one in los angeles where michael gargiulo is awaiting his trial? that's because this is where the accused serial killer got started, and it won't come to an end until he is back here to face a judge and jury. michael gargiulo sat without emotion listening to prosecutors describe him as a serial sexual thrill killer. >> he watched and collected real time intelligence on the victims and then manipulated the circumstances to provide himself with the perfect opportunity to pounce and kill in blitz-type knife attacks. >> prosecutors accused 43 gargiulo of murdering three women including 22-year-old ashley ellerin who was friendly with actor ashton kutcher. on the night of the killing, kutcher went to ellerin's home to pick her up for a party but left after she didn't answer the door. ellerin's body

resume monday. >> his hobby was plotting the perfect opportunity to attack women. >> reporter: michael gargiuloomen. one, the former girlfriend of actor ashton kutcher. >> ashley was very social and outgoing and soon attracted his attention. >> reporter: according to police, rebrutally 22-year-old ashley ellerin to death in her hollywood hills home in 2001 just hours before kutcher was supposed to take her to a grammys after-party. >> mr. kutcher looked in the window and saw what he thought was spilled wine on the floor. we have believe that was blood and ashley was already murdered. >> reporter: more than 250 witnesses may be called to testify including kutcher. gargiulo's defense team saying there's zero evidence that ties gargiulo to ellerin's death. >> is there any physical evidence? no, there isn't. >> reporter: but the suspected killer arrested in 2008 after dna evidence reportedly linked him to the murder of maria bruno. >> his plan to kill -- was to hunt down the victims relentlessly. >> reporter: prosecutors say he also violently attacked michelle murphy. she narrowly expected. now the

were on the door years later, after the suspect's dna was matched to another stbing victim, michael gargiuloerin's ho ccide policeled him a serial psychosexual thrill killer who now faces the death penalty. miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> still ahead, a florida teacher lands in hot water for fs, d a comedy legend lives of ngthtoy story 4 is briing e late don rickles back to the silver screen. ♪ ♪ ♪ walgreens save your skin today you don't see psoriasis. you see clear skin. you see me. but if you saw me before cosentyx... ♪ i was covered. it was awful. bui didn't give up. i kept fighting. i got clear skin with cosentyx. 3 years and counting. clear skin can last. see if cosentyx could make a difference for you. cosentyx is proven to help people with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis find clear skin that can last. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting cosentyx, you should be checked r tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowereity to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms. or if you have received a vaccine or plan to. if you

so now they're saying that this is trying to storm a timeline to show michael gargiulo, hollywood ripperat they allege is this killer. that this place is -- that she was already dead by the time this -- this time in the night here. and it is worth noting the defense is saying that there is no concrete evidence to link gargiulo to ellerin's murder however investigators know there are other murders pinpointing in -- where he may have been the murderer in the other cases because he cut himself in one the incidents in 2008 and that dna led them to hone in on him. >> so gruesome. stephanie elum, thank you. >>> and veteran game show host was diagnosed with the most deadly form of cancer and vowed to beat it and according to his doctors is near remission. answer -- who is "jeopardy!" host alex trebek. he opened up about his battle with stage for pancreatic cancer and how his treatment and recovery are progressing. saying it is mind-boggling, the doctors said they hadn't seen this kind of poz result in memory and some of the tumors have shrunk by more than 50%. and our chief of surgery cal oncol

22-year-old model and fashion student was likely already dead, killed allegedly by this man, michael gargiulo repairman who is now on trial for her murder as well as others. prosecutors describe him as a serial sexual thrill killer who got pleasure from killing beautiful women, buchtering three of them, including elleran. prosecutors allege his murder spree started with killing trisha pacaccio in chicago in 1993, then ellerin in los angeles in 2001. 32-year-old maria bruno murdered in california. prosecutors say in april of 2008, 27-year-old michelle murphy was attacked by gargiulo also in california but she survived. >> his hobby was plotting the perfect opportunity to attack women with a knife in and around their homes. >> reporter: the actor also admitted he was worried he would become a possible suspect. his fingerprints on the victim's door. gargiulo's attorney told him, don't worry, you're not a suspect. and gargiulo faces two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder just for the cases in the l.a. area alone. he has plead not guilty. guys? >> okay, adrienne, thank you. >>> we