In the final chapter of our Hillside Stranglers series, the investigation finally closes in on Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono—but bringing two killers to justice would prove far more complicated than identifying them. We follow Bianchi to Washington, where two additional murders led to his arrest, his confession, and an elaborate attempt to convince investigators that an alternate personality was responsible for his crimes. Then, we examine the controversial agreement that turned Bianchi into the prosecution’s key witness against his cousin. With unreliable testimony, an attempted copycat murder, and prosecutors who initially believed the case against Buono was too weak to continue, the path to conviction nearly collapsed. We break down the extraordinary trial, the sentences both men received, and the lasting questions this case raises about power, misogyny, victim vulnerability, and whose lives society chooses to protect. This is The Hillside Stranglers, Part 4: Two Killers, One Reckoning. This episode contains discussions of: Murder and strangulationSexual assault and sexual exploitationTorture and physical abuseCrimes involving minorsDomestic abuse and coercive controlVictim blaming and dehumanizing languageImpersonation of law enforcementAttempted murderManipulation, psychological abuse, and feigned mental illnessListener discretion is advised. As always, we discuss these events to understand the victims, the offenders, and the systems surrounding the case—not to glorify the people responsible. Los Angeles Times — The Hillside Stranglers case and the trial that nearly did not happenWashington Courts — Kenneth A. Bianchi court opinion and sentencing historyLoyola of Los Angeles Law Review — The Hillside Strangler TrialLos Angeles Times — Kenneth Bianchi denied parole in 2025Roger W. Boren, “The Hillside Strangler Trial,” Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, Vol. 33, 2000.Darcy O’Brien, Two of a Kind: The Hillside Stranglers, New American Library, 1985.Martin T. Orne, David T. Dinges and Emily Carota Orne, “On the Differential Diagnosis of Multiple Personality in the Forensic Context,” International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 1984.Content WarningsSources
