Introduction to the Case
A Riverside County woman who was convicted of second-degree murder for injecting silicone oil into a woman’s buttocks just over a year after being found guilty of a lesser charge stemming from another woman’s death under similar circumstances was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years to life in prison.
Jurors deliberated just over a day before finding Libby Adame, 55, guilty Oct. 9 of the murder charge, along with a count of practicing medicine without certification. The charges stemmed from the March 24 death of 59-year-old Cindyana Santangelo of Malibu.
The Trial and Verdict
Jurors also found true an allegation that Adame personally inflicted great bodily injury on Santangelo.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta — who ordered Adame to be held without bail after the jury’s verdict — rejected the defense’s motion for a new trial before handing down the sentence.
Defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan argued that the timeline of events that day "shows that there was no opportunity to do this act" and contended that authorities focused all of their attention on Adame.
"This was not an investigation. This was a rush to judgment," Adame’s lawyer told the judge.
The Prosecutor’s Argument
The Riverside woman injected silicone oil into a woman’s buttocks, which led to her death.
Deputy District Attorney Lee Cernok countered that the evidence "established without a doubt that Adame was there," and also supported that she did indeed perform the injection."
The prosecutor noted in a written court filing that during Adame’s testimony in her own defense that the defendant "freely admitted that she still does the injections in Mexico despite her 2024 conviction for the involuntary manslaughter of Karissa Rajpaul."
The Judge’s Decision
In denying the defense’s new trial motion, the judge said he found "sufficient probative evidence to sustain the verdict."
Ohta noted that he did not find the defendant’s testimony to be credible, saying the evidence showed that Adame injected the silicone oil.
Santangelo’s husband, Frank, cited "the damage done by this woman" and said family members have had their lives "turned upside down."
The Victim’s Family Speaks Out
One of the couple’s two sons, Dante, said he was in Thailand at the time — a 16-hour flight away.
"I did not expect this to happen in my wildest dreams," Dante Santangelo told the judge.
Adame and her daughter, Alicia Galaz, were found guilty in March 2024 of involuntary manslaughter — but acquitted of the more serious charge of murder — stemming from the Oct. 15, 2019, death of 26-year-old Karissa Rajpaul following buttocks injections administered at a Sherman Oaks home.
Previous Convictions
Adame was also convicted last year of three counts of practicing medicine without a certification, while her daughter was found guilty of two counts of practicing medicine without a certification.
Adame was sentenced in April 2024 to four years and four months in state prison, while her daughter was sentenced to three years and eight months in state prison, with Judge George G. Lomeli subsequently agreeing with an argument by Galaz’s attorney that the two were entitled to additional credit for the time they underwent electronic monitoring while out of custody following their August 2021 arrests at the home they shared.
Conclusion
The prosecutor told Ohta that she believed Adame has "earned" the 15-year-to-life prison sentence, saying the defendant has "refused to show any responsibility" and had been warned that she was "on notice" about the danger of the injections.
"Three hundred forty one days later, she does it again," Cernok said.
In her closing argument in the latest case, the prosecutor told jurors that the judge in Adame’s first trial had warned the defendant in April 2024 that she was "on notice of the dangers that could result" from her actions after her conviction for involuntary manslaughter for Rajpaul’s death and that Lomeli had warned her that she could be charged with murder if it occurred again.
"Did she know better?" Cernok asked jurors of Adame, saying the answer was a resounding yes.
Santangelo died after being rushed from her home to a nearby hospital in Ventura County, with authorities subsequently determining that her cause of death was an embolism caused by a silicone injection, the prosecutor noted.
"There is no reasonable doubt in this case, ladies and gentlemen," the deputy district attorney said.
FAQs
Q: What was Libby Adame convicted of?
A: Libby Adame was convicted of second-degree murder and practicing medicine without certification.
Q: What was the cause of Cindyana Santangelo’s death?
A: The cause of Cindyana Santangelo’s death was an embolism caused by a silicone injection.
Q: How long was Libby Adame sentenced to prison?
A: Libby Adame was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
Q: Did Libby Adame have any previous convictions?
A: Yes, Libby Adame was previously convicted of involuntary manslaughter and practicing medicine without certification in 2024.
Q: What was the prosecutor’s argument in the case?
A: The prosecutor argued that Libby Adame knew the dangers of the injections and had been warned about them, but still chose to perform them, resulting in the death of Cindyana Santangelo.
