Kriti MehrotraHelmed by her husband, filmmaker Andy Ostroy, HBO’s ‘Adrienne’ is a documentary movie that examines the life, death, and legacy of actress, director, and writer Adrienne Shelly. After all, it brings her back into the spotlight by specifically focusing upon the extraordinary impact she had in the entertainment industry before being tragically killed in 2006. In short, this emotional project exhibits her talent, the harrowing manner in which Diego Pillco slew her on November 1, 2006, and its aftermath. So now, if you’re curious to know more about Diego in particular, we’ve got you covered.
Who is Diego Pillco?
Back in 2006, Diego Pillco was a 19-year-old illegal immigrant from Ecuador. As per reports, he had arrived in New York in July of that same year and worked hard to send money to his parents. Apart from doing a few odd jobs here and there, he was a part-time construction worker who lived in the basement quarters of his employer with his brother and cousin. Allegedly, not only did Diego not have a criminal record by that point, but everyone who knew him deemed him respectful, responsible, and well-mannered. Thus, the fact that he couldn’t speak a lot of English didn’t bother them.
However, that changed when Diego came across Adrienne Shelly while working in a third-floor apartment (directly the one below her office space) of Abingdon Square in Greenwich Village on November 1. They got into an altercation soon after, and according to his own confession, he ended up murdering the Hollywood star in a fit of fear and anger. Later, Diego deliberately set the scene to make it look like suicide, yet the dusty shoeprint on the toilet cover beneath the shower rod where Adrienne had been hanged became his downfall. He was arrested on the 5th and admitted to his crime a day later.
As per his initial statements, Adrienne had come down to complain about the construction noise when he grew frustrated and threw his hammer in her direction. It did not hit her, but when she turned around to go back to her office, Diego said he followed in fear of her calling the police. He then conceded that he grabbed her at her door, so she slapped him, prompting him to strike back. That’s when Diego stated Adrienne fell, hit her head on the floor, and lost consciousness, making him believe that he’d killed her when that wasn’t the case. She passed away from severe neck compressions from the hanging.
Where is Diego Pillco Now?
Diego Pillco was charged with second-degree murder in 2006, yet when he went to court two years later, he changed his narrative to insist that there was no noise complaint, just a robbery. He revealed that he saw the actress heading into her office following his lunch, so he traced her steps and entered her space to steal from her purse. She caught him, but he grabbed the phone from her hands before she could call the police and covered her mouth to overpower her. “When she fell to the floor,” Diego said in court, “I saw a sheet and decided to choke her…and I made it look as if she committed suicide.”
Diego eventually pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter in exchange for 25 years behind bars. Thus, at the age of 34, he is currently incarcerated at the maximum-security Coxsackie Correctional Facility in Coxsackie, Greene County, New York. His earliest possible release date is April 6, 2028, whereas his sentence expires on November 4, 2031. No matter when Diego is discharged, though, he will be deported to Ecuador.
Read More: Where is Andy Ostroy Now?
