A woman dubbed ‘The Butt Lady’ has been found guilty of the murder of a television celebrity following a failed silicone injection procedure. Libby Adame, who was previously on probation for a case involving illegal buttocks injections that led to a death, administered a fatal injection to Cindyana Santangelo, a well-known actor from shows like ER and Married … with Children.
The 55-year-old Adame was convicted by a Los Angeles jury of second-degree murder and unauthorized medical practice after Santangelo, aged 58, passed away due to a deadly embolism caused by silicone injections given by Adame at the star’s residence. This information was reported by The Independent.
Under California law, second-degree murder carries a minimum sentence of 15 years, while practicing medicine without a license can result in up to three additional years. Moreover, the charge of causing significant bodily harm may add three to six years to Adame’s prison term.
During the trial, Adame’s defense lawyer informed the jury that Adame was merely providing advice on behalf of licensed physicians and did not directly conduct the fatal procedure on Santangelo, as reported by the LA Times. The defense also suggested that someone else may have performed the procedure since Santangelo already had bandages on her buttocks when Adame consulted with her, as per NBC4 Los Angeles. Adame denied administering the injections.
At the time of Santangelo’s death, Adame was still on probation for a 2019 case involving the death of Karissa Rajpaul due to buttocks injections. Rajpaul’s demise was determined to be a homicide resulting from acute cardiopulmonary dysfunction and silicone injections. Investigators revealed that the individuals, claiming to be experts, mixed safe cosmetic substances with hazardous chemicals.
Santangelo, famous for her roles in Married… with Children and ER, had a history of substance abuse but had been sober for several years. Her spouse, Frank Santangelo, filed a lawsuit against Adame for wrongful death, alleging that his wife was taken too soon in her own home.
During the trial, Frank Santangelo testified that his wife appeared to be in good health before meeting with Adame but later experienced breathing difficulties on a massage table and had bleeding from her buttocks. He recounted that Adame mentioned she might have a solution in her car to help but ultimately left without returning.
The Mirror has been advocating for stricter measures against unlicensed practitioners endangering lives with cosmetic procedures. Following this campaign, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced that new regulations will be introduced to address misconduct in the UK.