In the latter months of 19770, Los Angeles was terrorized by a killer that was dubbed "The Hillside Strangler". Eventually it was discovered that the serial killer was actually a pair, cousins Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono. Their murderous rampage began shortly after Bianchi moved from Rochester, N.Y. to live with Buono in L.A. and would not end until the two feuded and Bianchi moved to Bellingham, Washington. On his own he raped and strangled two college students and was immediately identified by witnesses who saw him with the two girls.

While under arrest Bianchi, who had read numerous psychiatric books in anticipation of being caught one day, claimed to be a split personality and almost managed to fool psychiatrists. After being found out he put Plan B into effect, pleading guilty and accepting a life sentence in Washington to avoid a possible death penalty in return for implicating Buono in California.

Once in California Bianchi told of how he and Buono posed as police officers and ordered somen into their car, driving them to the cousin's home. They were then sexually assaulted, strangled, and their bodies washed clean of evidence. The pair then went in search of hillsides in places where the bodies could be easily discovered, then dumped and grotesquely posed the women. Bianchi liked to play games however, and later recanted his confession and generaly turned the trial into a circus. Buono eventually was convicted of only one murder and was sentenced to life in prison, though it is believed he and his killer cousin burdered at least eight women together during the last two months of 1977. Bianchi's trial behavior earned him a trip back to the state of Washington's Walla Walla Prison, which he was trying to avoid, where he too is serving life. In addition to the two Washington victims and the eight California victims, he is also a likely suspect in a few killing in his hometown of Rochester.

10/2/2002-Buono died in his prison cell on September 21. He had a history of heart problems and no foul play was involved.