Adrienne Shelly had a chance to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. A popular actress, she also enjoyed numerous successes as a director and screenwriter. Her greatest success was the film “Waitress”. Unfortunately, a promising career was interrupted by a brutal one.
Nothing heralded tragedy. Adrienne Shelly was found dead by her husband
On November 1, 2006, Adrienne Shelly went to her New York office located on the fourth floor of Abington Square in the West Village. The artist was working intensively on new projects, so it was no surprise that her phone was not answered all day. It wasn’t until around 5:45 p.m. that her concerned husband decided to pay her a visit to make sure she was okay. When he entered the room with the porter of the skyscraper, he was shocked. Shelly was lying on the floor in the bathroom. Her face was down to the floor and a sheet loop was tied around her neck, the other end of which was attached to the shower rail.
The police were immediately called to the scene and a thorough investigation was launched. An autopsy showed that the cause of death was strangulation. Initially, detectives believed that the star committed suicide, which her husband categorically disagreed with. He claimed that Adrienne was happy, fulfilled as a mother and wife, and also had numerous professional successes, so she had no reason to take her own life. Investigators did not believe these words, but this option was likely, especially since all the banknotes disappeared from the actress’s wallet. It wasn’t until a shoe print was found at the site that third-party involvement began to be considered.
The perpetrator changed his version of events twice. His words during the trial shocked the whole world
A potential culprit was quickly identified. It was 19-year-old Diego Pillco, an illegal immigrant from Ecuador who was employed as a member of the construction crew in the building where Shelly’s office was located. Five days after the death of the actress, the man was arrested. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime. He revealed that the woman complained about the noise making it difficult for her to work. Annoyed that he couldn’t understand her (he wasn’t fluent in English), he threw a hammer at her. When he understood that the woman could file a complaint and as a consequence he would be forced to return to his homeland, he decided to act. He went to her office, where, enraged by his attitude, Shelly slapped him. The man gave her back, and the force of the blow was so great that the woman fell, losing consciousness. Convinced that he had killed her, he decided to make it look like a suicide. Leaving the office, Pillco emptied the victim’s wallet.
During the trial, he changed his version of events. He argued that he only wanted to rob Shelly, but when she caught him committing a crime, she started screaming. When the woman wanted to call the police, he snatched her phone and began to strangle her. “When she fell to the floor, I saw the sheet and decided to strangle her. Then I made it look like she committed suicide to the judge. Later, he also added that if Shelly had been at lunch just 10 minutes longer, she would have been able to avoid death. On March 13, 2008, Diego Pillco was sentenced to 25 years. During the sentencing, the actress’s widower, Andy Ostroy, spoke bitterly to . “You deserve no mercy, you are a cold-blooded murderer.” I want you to rot in this cell. I’ll spend the rest of my days hating you for what you’ve done.” He said with tears in his eyes.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
