Who is Kenneth Bianchi? Dreaded Hillside Strangler, 74, denied parole for the 8th time

Hindustan Times

13-07-2025

Kenneth Bianchi, one of the two men behind the horrific 'Hillside Strangler' killings, has once again been denied parole. The decision came this week, meaning Bianchi will stay locked up in a California prison, where he's been serving a life sentence since 1983. Kenneth Bianchi was part of a killing spree that gripped Los Angeles in the late 1970s(@WillSutton78/ X)
This is the eighth time he han been refused parole. His first denial came in 1985, and another in 2010.
Who is Kenneth Bianchi?
Now 74, Bianchi was part of a killing spree that gripped Los Angeles in the late 1970s. Over four months from late 1977 to early 1978, ten women were abducted and murdered. Bianchi later admitted to killing two more women in Washington. He committed those last murders on his own.
Bianchi didn't act alone in most of the Los Angeles cases. He carried out the crimes with his cousin, Angelo Buono Jr. The victims were girls and young women between the ages of 12 and 28. They were strangled and left along remote hillsides around the city. That's how the killers got the name 'Hillside Stranglers.'
Police arrested Bianchi in Washington state in January 1979. Buono wasn't caught until that October. To avoid a harsher sentence, Bianchi agreed to testify against his cousin. That deal gave him the chance to seek parole one day. Both men were given life sentences, however Buono died in prison in 2002.
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Kenneth Bianchi held in a prison in Washington state
At one point, Bianchi changed his name to Anthony D'Amato, something he did about two years ago. He's currently held in a prison in Washington state. Authorities say Bianchi and Buono posed as police officers to get their victims to cooperate. They would find young women waiting at bus stops or walking near their apartments, flash fake badges, and then take them away.
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Murders caused panic across Los Angeles
Once they had them, the cousins would rape, torture, and strangle them before dumping their bodies in remote areas. The murders caused panic across Los Angeles. Women were afraid to go out at night. Police worked for months to figure out who was behind the killings.
Bianchi's plea deal was the only thing that kept him from getting the death penalty. His cooperation helped prosecutors convict Buono. But despite the deal, parole has never been granted.
Families of the victims have continued to speak out each time Bianchi goes before the board. And each time, the result has been the same: he stays behind bars.