Jurors find 'butt lady' guilty of murder in second deadly procedure

'Butt lady' guilty of murder in deadly procedure

A jury has found Libby Adame guilty of second-degree murder and practicing medicine without a certification in the death of Cindyana Santangelo.

LOS ANGELES - A jury has found Libby Adame guilty of second-degree murder and practicing medicine without a certification in the death of Cindyana Santangelo. 

This is the second time Adame has been convicted in a fatal, illegal buttock-enhancement procedure, and she now faces 15 years to life in prison. 

The backstory:

In a separate case in March 2024, Adame and her daughter, Alicia Galaz, were convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the 2019 death of Karissa Rajpaul, who died after a buttock augmentation procedure. 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Woman, daughter plead not guilty to murder in woman's death during buttocks augmentation

Jurors in that trial acquitted them of the more serious murder charge. 

Both women were sentenced to prison but were released after a judge determined they had already served their time due to electronic monitoring. 

Following her 2024 conviction, Adame was warned by the judge that she could face a murder charge if she were to perform a similar procedure again.

What we know:

The latest conviction stems from the death of 59-year-old Cindyana Santangelo on March 24. 

Santangelo died from an embolism caused by a silicone injection.

In closing arguments, Deputy District Attorney Lee Cernok argued that Adame, a Riverside County woman known as "the butt lady" or "la tia," knew the dangers of her actions but chose to proceed anyway. 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: California mom-daughter duo sentenced after butt-lift killed woman; Both released after time served

Adame’s defense attorney, J. Michael Flanagan, countered that Adame did not perform the fatal injection, claiming she was only at the home as a "consultant" for doctors in Tijuana. 

He said Santangelo already had bandages on her buttocks from a procedure performed by someone else.

What they're saying:

During the trial, Santangelo's husband, Frank Santangelo, testified that his wife was "struggling to breathe" after her meeting with Adame and had "blood coming from each butt cheek."

He recalled Adame's reaction, stating that she told him, "this has never happened to a client of mine before." 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Illegal butt-lift procedure kills woman; Mom and daughter from SoCal charged with murder

Adame herself testified on Monday, denying that she performed the injections and claiming the puncture marks were "too high" to be her work. "You just happened to arrive after she got the injections from someone else?" the prosecutor asked during cross-examination. "Yes," Adame responded.

What's next:

Adame has remained in custody since her arrest on May 12. She is scheduled to be sentenced on November 5 and faces a prison sentence of 15 years to life.