A woman dubbed ‘The Butt Lady’ has been convicted of the murder of a television celebrity following a failed silicone injection procedure.
Libby Adame, already under probation for a prior case involving fatal buttocks injections, administered the fatal injection to Cindyana Santangelo, a 58-year-old actress known for her roles in ER and Married … with Children.
The 55-year-old Adame was found guilty by a Los Angeles jury of second-degree murder and practicing medicine without a license. This came after Santangelo tragically passed away from a fatal embolism caused by Adame’s silicone injections at the star’s residence, as reported by The Independent.
In California, second-degree murder carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, while practicing medicine without a license can add up to three years. Furthermore, the special allegation of causing significant bodily harm could extend Adame’s sentence by three to six years.
During the trial, Adame’s defense attorney argued that Adame was solely consulting on behalf of licensed doctors and did not physically conduct the fatal procedure on Santangelo, as stated by the LA Times. The defense also contended that when Adame consulted with Santangelo, the latter already had bandages on her buttocks, indicating that someone else might have performed the fatal procedure, according to NBC4 Los Angeles. Adame denied administering the injections.
At the time of Santangelo’s demise, Adame was on probation for a 2019 case involving the death of Karissa Rajpaul due to fatal buttocks injections. Rajpaul’s death was declared a homicide resulting from acute cardiopulmonary dysfunction and silicone injections. The individuals, posing as experts, combined safe cosmetic substances with hazardous chemicals.
Santangelo, recognized for her acting in Married… with Children and ER, had a past struggle with substance abuse but had been sober for several years.
Following his wife’s death, Frank Santangelo filed a wrongful death suit against Adame, alleging that his wife was “taken in the prime of her life in her own home.”
In a campaign by the Mirror to address the risks posed by unqualified practitioners in the cosmetic industry, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced that new regulations would be implemented to tackle misconduct in the UK.