California Woman Convicted of Killing Actress During Botched Procedure

A woman from California, dubbed the “Ass Lady,” was found guilty on Thursday for the murder of actress Cindyana Santangelo, known from “Married… With Children,” during a failed silicone injection.

Libby Adam, aged 55, was convicted of second-degree murder and unauthorized medical practice related to the death of the 59-year-old actress on March 24. Reports from the LA Times indicate that Santangelo was taken from her Malibu residence to a Ventura County hospital where an embolism from the silicone injection was identified as the cause of death, according to prosecutors.

Santangelo, a mother of two, suffered a tragic fate after the procedure. It’s quite unsettling to think about how things can go so wrong so quickly.

In defense, attorney J. Michael Flanagan suggested that Adam was merely consulting for a licensed physician from Tijuana, Mexico, who had the authority to perform such injections. He argued that she was not responsible for the procedure and pointed accusations at the investigators for shifting the blame onto Santangelo without a proper investigation.

Interestingly, at the time of Santangelo’s death, Adam was already on probation for a previous manslaughter case involving another young woman, Carissa Rajpaul, in 2019. That situation also revolved around buttock injections, which raises concerning patterns.

Adam was initially sentenced to over four years for that case but had only served less than a year before her release under monitoring.

Flanagan did admit that while Adam had operated on Rajpaul, she was aware she could no longer carry out such procedures legally in California. Now, she plans to appeal her recent murder conviction.

Following her arrest by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on May 12, Adam has remained in custody, with her sentencing hearing set for November 5.

California law stipulates a minimum of 15 years for second-degree murder convictions, and practicing medicine unlawfully can add further penalties. Given that she was also charged with grievous bodily harm, her potential sentence could increase by an additional three to six years.

Frank Santangelo, the husband of the deceased, is also pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit against Adam. He expressed his belief that his wife was “murdered in her home in the prime of her life,” which leaves a heavy, lingering sadness.

After the verdict, he stated that he feels justice has been served, although many might wonder how justice looks in cases like these.

Cindyana Santangelo first gained recognition in 1989 through her appearance in the music video for Young MC’s “Bust a Move.” Her career included roles in television shows such as “CSI: Miami” and “ER,” as well as films like The Adventures of the Ford Fairlane and Hollywood Homicide, where she acted alongside Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett.