Case overview
Between October 1977 and February 1978, ten young women and girls were found sexually assaulted and strangled on hillsides throughout Los Angeles County. The murders, later attributed to cousins Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono Jr., became known as the Hillside Stranglers case after investigators initially believed a single killer was responsible.
The pattern emerges
The first victim, Yolanda Washington, was discovered near Forest Lawn Cemetery on October 18, 1977. Her body showed ligature marks consistent with strangulation, and evidence indicated sexual assault. Within weeks, investigators found Judith Miller on October 31 in La Crescenta, followed by Lissa Kastin in Glendale on November 6. All three victims shared similar characteristics: young women found nude or partially clothed on hillsides, strangled with ligature marks on their wrists and ankles indicating restraint.
The frequency accelerated in November. Between November 20 and November 29, investigators discovered four more victims: Dolores Cepeda and Sonja Johnson, both middle school students found near Dodger Stadium, followed by Kristina Weckler in Highland Park and Jane King in Los Feliz. The geographic spread across multiple jurisdictions complicated the investigation. Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and Glendale Police initially worked separate cases before recognizing the pattern.
Lauren Wagner’s body was found in Mount Washington on November 29, 1977. Witnesses reported seeing two men forcing a woman into a car the night of her disappearance, the first indication that multiple perpetrators might be involved. This contradicted the single-killer theory that had dominated early investigative efforts.
Victim selection and geographic distribution
The victims ranged from 12 to 28 years old and came from different backgrounds. Most were involved in sex work or approached under false pretenses involving modeling work or other job opportunities. The offenders targeted vulnerable individuals who could be isolated without immediate alarm from family or community networks.
Body disposal sites followed a distinct pattern across northeastern Los Angeles County hillsides, including Glendale, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, and areas near Forest Lawn Cemetery. The locations suggested familiarity with the region and access to secluded areas reachable by vehicle. Investigators mapped the dump sites, noting proximity to major roadways and deliberate placement in visible locations where bodies would be discovered relatively quickly.
The final two victims of the Los Angeles series were Kimberly Martin, found in a vacant lot on December 14, 1977, and Cindy Hudspeth, discovered in the trunk of her car near Angeles Crest Highway on February 17, 1978. Martin had been working as an escort and was called to a Glendale address the night she disappeared. Hudspeth’s case differed slightly in method, with her body concealed in a vehicle rather than displayed on a hillside.
Investigative response and coordination
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department formed a task force in November 1977 after recognizing similarities across jurisdictions. More than 10,000 tips flooded investigative lines, and detectives conducted extensive interviews with witnesses, family members, and known associates of the victims. Physical evidence collection included fiber analysis, fingerprint examination, and documentation of ligature marks, but forensic technology in 1977 limited the scope of comparative analysis.
Investigators focused on vehicle descriptions provided by witnesses who reported seeing young women forced into cars. Multiple sightings described a two-tone sedan, and composite sketches circulated based on witness accounts. The task force also examined similar cases dating back several years, attempting to determine whether earlier unsolved murders might be connected.
The investigation stalled through early 1978 despite extensive public appeals and media coverage. No new bodies appeared after February, leading investigators to consider whether the perpetrators had relocated, been arrested on unrelated charges, or ceased activity for other reasons.
The Bellingham connection
Kenneth Bianchi relocated to Bellingham, Washington in May 1978. On January 11, 1979, Western Washington University students Karen Mandic and Diane Wilder were found strangled in the back of Mandic’s car. Witnesses placed Bianchi, who worked as a security guard, at the victims’ residence the night they disappeared. He had arranged a house-sitting job that investigators quickly determined was fabricated.
Bellingham Police arrested Bianchi on January 12, 1979. During the investigation, detectives discovered Bianchi’s recent move from Los Angeles and contacted LAPD regarding potential connections to unsolved cases. Evidence from Bianchi’s residence, including jewelry belonging to Hillside Strangler victim Kimberly Martin, directly linked him to the Los Angeles murders.
Bianchi initially claimed dissociative identity disorder, undergoing psychiatric evaluation and hypnosis sessions. Mental health professionals hired by the prosecution concluded his presentation was fabricated. Faced with physical evidence and inconsistencies in his statements, Bianchi agreed to a plea arrangement in October 1979, identifying his cousin Angelo Buono Jr. as his accomplice in exchange for life imprisonment rather than the death penalty.
Evidence connecting the accomplices
Investigators established that Bianchi and Buono, who operated an auto upholstery shop in Glendale, worked together to abduct, assault, and murder the victims. Witnesses identified Buono’s home as a location where several victims were seen or held. Forensic evidence included carpet fibers from Buono’s residence matching fibers found on multiple victims.
The case against Buono relied heavily on Bianchi’s testimony, physical evidence from crime scenes, and witness statements placing victims near Buono’s residence or vehicle. Prosecutors documented a pattern showing the cousins used police impersonation, false job offers, and force to control victims. Ligature marks and cause of death remained consistent across cases, supporting the theory of shared methodology.
Los Angeles County District Attorney John Van de Kamp initially sought to dismiss charges against Buono in 1981, citing concerns about Bianchi’s credibility as the primary witness. California Attorney General George Deukmejian intervened, assigning Deputy Attorney General Roger Kelly to continue the prosecution. The trial began in November 1981 and lasted two years, becoming one of the longest criminal trials in California history at that time.
Trial and conviction
The prosecution presented testimony from more than 250 witnesses, including forensic experts, law enforcement personnel, and individuals who encountered the defendants during the relevant time period. Physical evidence included fibers, witness identifications, and documentation of the defendants’ movements and associations with victims.
Defense attorneys challenged Bianchi’s credibility and argued that physical evidence was circumstantial. The trial record exceeded 56,000 pages of transcript. On October 31, 1983, the jury convicted Angelo Buono Jr. of nine of the ten Los Angeles murders. The jury recommended life imprisonment rather than the death penalty, a decision that generated significant public and prosecutorial criticism.
Sentencing Judge Ronald M. George, who later became Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, rejected the jury’s recommendation and imposed life imprisonment without possibility of parole, citing the deliberate and cruel nature of the crimes. Kenneth Bianchi received life sentences in Washington for the Bellingham murders and was subsequently transferred to California to serve concurrent sentences for the Los Angeles cases.
Investigative failures and lessons
The Hillside Stranglers case exposed significant coordination failures across law enforcement jurisdictions. Different agencies initially pursued separate investigations despite clear pattern similarities, delaying the formation of a unified task force. Information sharing improved during the investigation, but early delays allowed the perpetrators to continue operating for several months.
The case also highlighted challenges in investigating crimes against sex workers and marginalized populations, whose disappearances did not always generate immediate investigative priority. Victim advocacy groups and law enforcement agencies later cited the case when developing protocols for handling serial crime investigations and ensuring thorough documentation of patterns across jurisdictions.
Technological limitations in 1977 and 1978 restricted forensic capabilities compared to current DNA analysis and digital tracking methods. Investigators relied primarily on witness testimony, physical evidence such as fibers and fingerprints, and traditional detective work. The resolution of the case ultimately depended on Bianchi’s arrest in Washington and subsequent cooperation rather than breakthrough forensic analysis in Los Angeles.
Outcome and incarceration
Angelo Buono Jr. remained incarcerated at Calipatria State Prison until his death from a heart attack on September 21, 2002, at age 67. He maintained his innocence throughout his imprisonment and never provided additional details about the crimes.
Kenneth Bianchi remains incarcerated in Washington State Penitentiary serving concurrent life sentences. He has given multiple interviews over the decades, with accounts that vary in detail and consistency. Investigators have periodically reviewed unsolved cases from regions where Bianchi lived to determine potential additional victims, but no additional charges have been filed.
The case established precedents in California criminal procedure regarding joint trials, accomplice testimony, and the admissibility of psychiatric evidence. It remains a reference point in discussions of serial offender patterns, multi-jurisdictional investigations, and the prosecution of cases heavily dependent on accomplice testimony.
Where to look next
- Documentary: “The Hillside Strangler” (Investigation Discovery)
- Book: “The Hillside Stranglers” by Darcy O’Brien
- Podcast: “The Hillside Stranglers” (“Casefile True Crime”, Casefile Presents)
