5 chilling details about Ariet Girgis's murder

chilling details about Ariet Girgis
Chilling details about Ariet Girgis's murder (Image via Unsplash)

In September 2004, the brutal murder of Ariet Girgis took place in the quiet neighborhood of Westminster, California. An angry person killed Ariet Girgis, a mother of two, in her own home. At first, police thought the attack was an attempt to break into a house that went wrong. As time went on, though, police found out a much darker truth: Ariet's murder was planned by her husband, Magdi Girgis.

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The case, once a cold mystery, would go on to catch the public's attention after its shocking details of the murder-for-hire came out. The crime took almost ten years for justice to be done.

At first, the murder was thought to have been committed by random criminals. But as the investigation went on, it became clear that the truth was much darker. Ariet Girgis had been badly hurt, and her son Ryan was locked in a closet with chains around his legs while he listened to her screams.

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After DNA evidence was found and a sting operation was carried out, Magdi Girgis was finally arrested. Still, the horrifying details of the murder, like how Ariet was killed and how the house was broken into, made the crime even worse. The full plot of this case was revealed on Dateline in 2013. It is one of the scariest murder-for-hire stories in recent memory.

Here are five chilling details about the murder of Ariet Girgis that shocked everyone, including her surviving sons.

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Chilling facts about the murder of Ariet Girgis

An image connected with the murder of Ariet Girgis (Image via Unsplash)
An image connected with the murder of Ariet Girgis (Image via Unsplash)

1) The brutal stabbing of Ariet Girgis

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According to investigators, her attackers had almost cut off her head. Tragically, the stabbing was so violent that it affected those who had to look into the crime for a long time.

By the time the police got there, Ariet's dead body was in her bedroom, surrounded by signs of a fight. Although she was killed with a lot of violence, it was clear that it was not an accident and that the killing had been carefully planned. The whole investigation was based on this freakish act.

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2) Ryan Girgis' horrifying ordeal

An image connected with the murder of Ariet Girgis (Image via Unsplash)
An image connected with the murder of Ariet Girgis (Image via Unsplash)

One of the most horrifying things about Ariet Girgis's murder was what her son, Ryan, went through that night. Someone tied Ryan, who was only 17, up with shoelaces and pushed him into a closet. He was stuck in the dark and could hear his mother being killed badly.

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The last things Ryan heard before the killers ran away were Ariet's screams and the fight. He made it through the ordeal alive and later called 911 in a panic, but seeing his mother die would always be painful for him.


3) Magdi Girgis’s Involvement in the murder plot

An image connected with the murder of Ariet (Image via Unsplash)
An image connected with the murder of Ariet (Image via Unsplash)

Magdi Girgis, Ariet Girgis's husband, planned this murder. At the time of the murder, Magdi was already being charged with hitting Ariet in the home. He was also very worried that if they got a divorce, he would lose his money and medical license.

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Magdi thought that killing his wife was the only way to solve his problems, so he hired criminals to do it. The fact that he planned the murder with cold calculation to make money makes his betrayal of his family even worse.


4) The DNA evidence that led to arrests

An image connected with the murder of Ariet (Image via Unsplash)
An image connected with the murder of Ariet (Image via Unsplash)

Years after Ariet Girgis was killed, one of the most important pieces of evidence that helped solve the case was found. Investigators were able to find Anthony Edward Bridget, a known gang member who was already in prison, following the DNA found on a shoelace, used to bind Ryan. Bridget's DNA match with the evidence was an essential clue, but he wouldn't help the police.

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The investigation then turned into a clever sting operation in which police officers pretended to be Bridget's friends and family. They went up to Magdi and offered him $5,000 if he would keep quiet about his role in the crime. Magdi paid them, sealing his fate without realizing it.


5) Identity of the second assailant

An image connected with the murder of Ariet (Image via Unsplash)
An image connected with the murder of Ariet (Image via Unsplash)

Magdi Girgis and Anthony Edward Bridget have been arrested, but the identity of the second attacker involved in the murder is still a huge mystery. There was a second person who was involved in the attack and helped kill Ariet Girgis brutally, but that person has never been found.

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The second attacker most likely helped with the stabbing and may have also broken into the house and stolen things. Magdi and Bridget were both found guilty for their parts, but the identity of the attacker is still unknown. Law enforcement has continued to seek information from the public in hopes of identifying the second person responsible for the crime.


Follow us to learn more details about other cases on Dateline.

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Edited by Bharath S
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