The Hillside Stranglers: LA’s Most Terrifying Duo

The Hillside Stranglers LA’s Most Terrifying Duo

The Hillside Stranglers: A Reign of Terror in 1970s Los Angeles

Between October 1977 and February 1978, Los Angeles was gripped by fear as a string of horrifying murders claimed the lives of 10 young women. Initially thought to be the work of a lone killer dubbed “The Hillside Strangler,” authorities later discovered the crimes were perpetrated by a pair of cousins — Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono Jr. Their gruesome spree earned them a notorious place in the annals of American serial killer history.

The First Victims

The first known victims were Yolanda Washington, 19, and Judy Miller, 15 — both sex workers who were found strangled and dumped along the wooded hillsides on the outskirts of Los Angeles. At the time, the police believed these to be isolated cases, tragic but not yet connected. However, as more bodies surfaced in quick succession, a chilling pattern began to emerge.

Modus Operandi: Deception and Cruelty

What made Bianchi and Buono particularly terrifying was their calculated method of luring victims. Both men would pose as undercover police officers, flashing fake badges to coerce women into their car under the pretense of an arrest. The victims — ranging in age from 12 to 28 — were then driven to Buono’s auto upholstery shop in Glendale, a grim stage for the abuse that followed.

Inside the shop, the victims were raped, sodomized, beaten, and in some cases tortured. Ultimately, each woman was strangled to death with a ligature, often with chillingly methodical precision. Their naked bodies were then washed to remove evidence and dumped across various hillside locations, which gave rise to the “Hillside Strangler” moniker.

Escalation and Media Frenzy

As the death toll rose, the media and public alike descended into panic. What began with sex workers soon escalated to include young women from middle-class neighborhoods — students, waitresses, and even high school girls. The abduction and murder of non-prostitutes triggered widespread fear among residents of Los Angeles.

In particular, the murder of Lauren Wagner, a 18-year-old honors student, deeply disturbed the public and law enforcement. It destroyed the illusion that only certain women were at risk. Parents forbade daughters from going out alone, and young women across the city began changing routines to stay safe.

By the end of the spree, ten women had been brutally killed, with two more deaths occurring in December 1977 and February 1978. Then, just as abruptly as the killings began, they stopped.

The Break in the Case

For nearly a year, investigators hit dead ends. No leads, no suspects — until Kenneth Bianchi resurfaced in January 1979 in Bellingham, Washington, where he was arrested for the murders of two local students.

His arrest opened the floodgates. When investigators probed Bianchi’s past, they linked him to Los Angeles at the time of the Strangler murders. Under pressure, Bianchi agreed to cooperate in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. He confessed to his role in the Hillside Strangler murders and implicated his cousin, Angelo Buono, as his partner in crime.

The Trials and Convictions

Kenneth Bianchi pleaded guilty to five murders in California and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He was transferred to Washington state, where he continues to serve his sentence.

Angelo Buono, who maintained his innocence throughout, faced a long and complex trial. He was convicted in 1983 of nine of the ten Hillside Strangler murders and sentenced to life without parole. The trial was one of the most expensive and lengthy in California’s history, lasting nearly six years.

Buono died of a heart attack in September 2002 while serving his sentence at Calipatria State Prison. He was 67 years old.

The Hillside Stranglers
Kenneth Bianchi
buono1
Angelo Buono Jr.

Legacy of Horror

The Hillside Stranglers’ crimes left a permanent scar on Los Angeles. The victims were not just statistics — they were daughters, sisters, and students whose lives were taken with cold cruelty. Their deaths prompted changes in how law enforcement handled serial cases and heightened public awareness about stranger abduction.

The pair’s use of deception and impersonation of authority also had a long-lasting impact on public trust. The idea that a killer could exploit the image of a police officer to disarm victims added an extra layer of terror to an already horrifying case.

Cultural Impact

The Hillside Stranglers inspired countless books, documentaries, and films. True crime enthusiasts and criminologists alike continue to study the case, particularly the psychological dynamics between Bianchi and Buono.

Bianchi, who is still alive today, often ranks among the most manipulative serial killers. He was once suspected of faking dissociative identity disorder to avoid prosecution. Despite his claims, forensic psychologists and law enforcement largely believe he was malingering to avoid responsibility.

Buono, in contrast, is seen as the dominant and sadistic figure, a man with a history of abusive behavior toward women even before the murders. Together, they formed one of the most dangerous partnerships in American criminal history.

Conclusion

The Hillside Strangler case remains one of the most chilling chapters in Los Angeles’ criminal past. More than four decades later, the brutality and cunning of Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono Jr. continue to horrify and fascinate.

Their capture and conviction were a victory for justice — but for the families of their victims, the pain never fully disappeared. The memory of those ten young women, and the terror inflicted on a city, stands as a haunting reminder of how evil can hide in plain sight — and even come in pairs.

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