"THE HILLSIDE STRANGLERS: THE BELLINGHAM BETRAYAL, THE FAKE INSANITY & THE COPYCAT KILLER - PART 2"

0:03 Calaruga Shark Media. Good morning, I'm Reed Carter, Sunday, January eleventh, twenty twenty six, forty seven years ago Today January eleventh, nineteen seventy nine. Bellingham, Washington, a college town near the Canadian border. Population forty five thousand, crime rate minimal, serial killers zero until Kenneth Bianki moved there. Karen Mandick was twenty two years old Western Washington University student, working her way through college. She had a part time job house sitting for wealthy homeowners when they traveled. Easy money, safe work, or so she thought. Diane Wilder was twenty seven, Karen's friend and fellow student. They did everything together, studied together, worked together. On January eleventh, nineteen seventy nine, they died together.

1:00 That afternoon, Karen received a phone call a man she knew, a security guard named Ken, had a house sitting job for her family was out of town. Just needed someone to watch the place for a few hours. One hundred dollars cash easy. Karen agreed, asked if Diane could come along. The man said sure, the more the merrier. Around seven pm, Karen and Diane drove to the address in Karen's green Mercury. Bobcat walked up to the house knocked on the door. Kenneth Bianki answered, charming, smiling, baby faced. The same man who had helped murder ten women in Los Angeles, the same man who had posed as a police officer to abduct victims. The same man who had injected Christina Weckler with windex and watched her die. He invited them inside.

1:52 By nine pm, both women were dead, raped, strangled, Their bodies left in the back seat of Karen's call, which Bianki drove to a remote area near Watcombe Falls Park and abandoned. That evening. When Karen and Diane didn't return, friends and family started calling, filed missing persons reports. Police began Searching. January twelfth, a woman named Shirley Schlemmer noticed a green car with fogged windows parked near the park. Something felt wrong, she called police. Officers responded, found the bodies. Within forty eight hours, Kenneth Bianchi was under arrest. Within a week, he was linked to the Hillside strangler murders in Los Angeles. Within a month, he'd implicated his cousin Angelo Buono. The four month reign of terror that paralyzed Los Angeles, the eleven months of silence, the move to Washington, the two more murders, and finally finally an arrest. I'm reed, Carter, this is celebrity trials today. The Bellingham betrayal, the fake insanity defense that fooled psychiatrists, the girlfriend who tried to commit copycat murder with smuggled seamen, and Kenneth Bianki now calling himself Anthony Demotto, still in prison forty six years later, Part two of two. Let's rewind to May nineteen seventy eight.

3:23 Kenneth Bianki had just fled Los Angeles after his cousin Angelo Buono threatened to kill him. The partnership was over. The Hillside strangler murders had stopped. Biyanki moved to Bellingham, Washington to start over. He brought his girlfriend, Kelly Boyd, and their newborn son, got an apartment, applied to the Bellingham Police Department, rejected again his fourth rejection from law enforcement. So he settled for a job as a security guard with a company that monitored vacant homes. For eight months, Bianki tried to be normal, played the role of devoted father and boyfriend, went to work, came home. But the compulsion never left, the fantasies never stopped, the need to control, to dominate, to kill. It was always there waiting. January nineteen seventy nine, Biyankei was assigned to guard a house in the Edgemoor neighborhood while the owners traveled nice house, quiet street, nobody around. He saw an opportunity. Biyankeie knew Karen Mandick from around town, knew she did house sitting work, called her on January eleventh with an offer, come watch this house for a few hours, one hundred bucks, bring a friend if you want. Karen agreed. She trusted him.

4:34 He was a security guard, after all, practically law enforcement safe. Around seven pm, Karen and Diane arrived at the house on Bayside Road. Biyanki let them in, showed them around, Then he pulled out a gun. No cousin to help this time, no partner, just Biyankey alone with two women who had walked willingly into his trap. He forced them into a back room, made Karen eye up Diane. Then he tied up Karen, raped them both, strangled them with a ligature, the same method he'd used in Los Angeles five point binding neck wrists, ankles. When it was over, he put their bodies in the back seat of Karen's Mercury Bobcat, drove to a secluded area near Watcom Falls Park, left the car with the windows up, knowing the bodies would be found eventually. Then he went home to Kelly Boyd and their baby son, had dinner, went to bed like nothing happened. But Bianchi had made mistakes, fatal mistakes. First, he used his real name when calling Karen to set up the meeting. Multiple people knew she was going to meet Ken that evening. Second, his car with California plates was spotted near the crime scene, witnesses remembered. Third, Karen and Diane's bodies showed the same ligature marks as the Hillside strangler victims, deep furrows on necks, wrists and ankles, identical method. Bellingham police weren't stupid. They started connecting dots.

6:05 A security guard named Ken with California plates, a car seen near the dump site, two women last seen going to meet this Ken. Within days, they had Biankey in custody, and then the real investigation began. Bellingham detectives contacted Los Angeles mentioned their suspect California plates security guard named Kenneth Bianki. Los Angeles detective Frank Salerno pulled up the name. Found something interesting Biyanke's old address eight zero nine East Garfield Avenue, Apartment D. Christina Weckler, Hillside strangler victim number six had lived at eight o nine East Garfield Avenue, Apartment E, right next door. Cindy Lee Hudspeth, victim number ten had also lived in that building. Coincidence or the break they've been waiting for. Detectives flew to Bellingham interviewed Bianki. Found his California dr iver's license cross reference to dresses victim after victim had connections to places Biyanki frequented. The pieces were falling into place. Then Biyanki started talking and the story got even more twisted. Kenneth Biyanki was facing the death penalty in Washington state two murders aggravated circumstances. If convicted, he'd be executed. His attorney suggested a psychiatric evaluation. Maybe

7:35 there was something wrong with Biyanki, maybe he wasn't responsible for his actions, maybe he could plead insanity. The evaluation began, and Biyanki saw an opportunity. He'd recently watched the movie Sybil, the nineteen seventy six film about a woman with multiple personality disorder, sixteen different personalities in one body, triggered by childhood. The movie had been a sensation. Everyone was talking about multiple personalities. Bianki decided to have one. During hypnosis sessions with psychiatrist doctor John Watkins, a new personality emerged. He called himself Steve. Steve was everything Kenny wasn't. Aggressive, crude, violent.

8:20 Steve admitted to the murders. Steve hated that Turkey Kenny. Steve had committed all the crimes while Kenny was unaware. Doctor Watkins was convinced here was a genuine case of multiple personality disorder. Kenny wasn't responsible for Steve's actions. Kenny didn't even know Steve existed. Other psychiatrists agreed. Doctor Ralph Allison diagnosed Bianki with multiple personality disorder, so did several other experts. The insanity defense was looking strong, but prosecutors weren't buying it. They brought in their own expert, doctor Martin Orn, a specialist in hypnosis and dissociative disorders. Doctor Orn was skept from the start. During his examination, he casually mentioned to Biyanki that genuine cases of multiple personality disorder usually involved three or more personalities, not just two.

9:12 Guess what happened next. Within minutes, Biyanki produced a third personality, Billy, right on cue, as if he'd been waiting for permission to create another character. Doctor Orn knew then this wasn't dissociative identity disorder. This was performance Bianki was faking. Orn set more traps, asked Bianki, under hypnosis to describe the location of his lawyer in the room. Bianki pointed to an empty chair. Real hypnotic subjects don't hallucinate things that aren't there. When asked direct questions, they say, I don't see anyone. The facade crumbled. Orn concluded that Biyanki was malingering, faking mental illness to avoid prosecution. Other prosecution experts greed the man who'd fooled four psychiatrists couldn't fool doctor Martin Orn.

10:05 But here's where it gets even more twisted. While Bianki was playing insane in Washington, a woman was falling in love with him. Veronica Compton, aspiring actress and playwright working on a screenplay called The Mutilated Cutter about a female serial killer. She wrote to Bianki in jail, asking to interview him for research. Bianki wrote back, they corresponded. She visited him in prison within weeks. Veronica was obsessed. She later described it, I wanted to be him. I wanted to vicariously live out my own fantasies through this incredibly powerful person. I was more interested in being his partner in crime than his victim, and Byanki saw another opportunity.

10:49 He convinced Veronica that if she committed a copycat murder strangling a woman in the same style as the Hillside strangler, police would realize they had the wrong man. The real killer was still out there. Biyanki would be freed, but for the murder to look authentic, Veronica would need to leave seamen at the scene make it look like a rape murder by the strangler. So Biyanki smuggled his seamen to her in a rubber glove hidden in the spine of a book, tied with the string of a rosary. Let me repeat that a serial killer smuggled his seamen out of prison in a rubber glove tied with rosary beads to his girlfriend who planned to commit copycat murder Make it make sense. In September nineteen eighty, Veronica Compton flew to Bellingham, checked into the Shangri Law motel, hit the bars looking for a victim. Found twenty six year old Kim Breed. Veronica spent hours with Kim, drinking, dancing, building trust. Then she invited Kim back to her motel room for a final drink. Once inside, Veronica attacked, wrapped a cord around Kim's neck, started strangling her, but Kim was stronger, fought back, threw Veronica off, escaped, called police.

12:06 Veronica fled to San Francisco, where she had a hysterical breakdown at the airport. Police connected the dots arrested her within days, found letters linking her to Bianki, charged her with attempted murder. The copycat's scheme had failed, Bianki's insanity defense had failed. The jig was up. Facing overwhelming evidence and the prospect of the death penalty, Bianki made a deal, plead guilty to five of the Los Angeles murders and both Bellingham murders. Testify against Angelo Buono in exchange life in prison instead of execution. Kenneth Bianchi took the deal, and then he tried to sabotage his own testimony. We'll be right back with the longest trial in California history, the cousin who died in prison, and the serial killer who changed his name to Anthony Dematto. Welcome back to celebrity trials. I'm reed Carter. October nineteen seventy nine, Angelo Buono was arrested at his upholstery shop in Glendale, charged with ten counts of murder. The prosecution star witness his cousin, Kenny, but Kenny had no intention of actually helping convict Angelo.

13:28 During testimony, Bianki was deliberately uncooperative, contradicted himself, constantly changed details, made his testimony as useless as possible. He'd made a deal to testify, nobody said he had to testify well. The prosecution was in crisis. Their case relied heavily on Bianki's testimony, and Bianki was torpedoing it from within. At one point, prosecutors actually moved to dismiss charges against Buono because their case was falling apart. Judge Donald George refused, said the case should go to trial regardless let the jury decide. What followed was the longest criminal trial in American history at that time, two years, over four hundred witnesses, mountains of evidence, all while Bianchi tried to be as unhelpful as possible and Buono maintained complete innocence. Buono never admitted anything, never showed remorse, sat through the entire trial insisting he was innocent. Pointed to the lack of physical evidence.

14:31 His house was so clean that investigators couldn't even find his own fingerprints inside, But the circumstantial evidence was overwhelming, witness testimony, fiber evidence, the pattern of victims connected to locations Bianchi and Buono frequented, the timing of murders that corresponded to when both men were available. November nineteen eighty three, after months of deliberation, the jury returned verdicts Angelo Buono guilty of nine of the ten Hillside strangler murders. The tenth, Yolanda Washington, wasn't charged due to insufficient evidence linking Buono specifically to that killing. Judge Ronald George sentenced Buono to life in prison without parole. During sentencing, the judge made a statement that still resonates Ironically, although these two defendants utilized almost every form of legalized execution against their victims, the defendants have escaped any form of capital punishment. Angelo Buono was sent to Calipatria State Prison. He never expressed remorse, never admitted guilt, maintained his innocence until September twenty first, two thousand and two, when he died of a heart attack in his cell. He was sixty seven years old.

15:42 Veronica Compton convicted of attempted first degree murder, sentenced to life in prison. While incarcerated, she moved on from Bianci to another serial killer, Douglas Clark, the Sunset Strip Killer. He sent her a Valentine's card with a photo of a headl female corpse true love. Compton eventually married a college professor, gave birth to a daughter in prison, and was paroled in two thousand and three. She's been out ever since, living quietly. Last known to be going by Veronica Compton, Wallace and Kenneth Bianki. He's been in prison for forty six years, currently housed at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla, Walla, serving life with the possibility of parole.

16:27 That's right, possibility of parole. Bianki became eligible in two thousand and five, has been denied every time two thousand and five, twenty ten, and most recently July twenty twenty five, just six months ago. But here's the detail that caught my attention when researching this case. In twenty twenty three, Kenneth Bianki legally changed his name. He's no longer Kenneth Bianki. He's now Anthony Dematto, seventy four years old, convicted of twelve murders, possibly respond consible for more, and he wants a new identity. Wants to shed the Hillside strangler label, start fresh, your tax dollars at work. The July twenty twenty five parole hearing lasted hours. Victim family members testified in opposition, delivered impact statements about the enduring trauma, loss and lack of closure. Emphasized that Bianki sorry Demato, has shown no genuine rehabilitation, that his freedom would retraumatize survivors and relatives. The parole board agreed denied. He'll be eligible again in ten years two thousy thirty five, he'll be eighty four years old, assuming he lives that long. Kenneth Bianki now Anthony Dematto continues filing lawsuits and petitions claiming innocence after forty six years after confessing, after testifying against his cousin, still claiming he didn't do it. Some people

17:58 can't be rehabilitated. Some people are just evil. Before we close, let's say their names one more time. Yolanda Washington nineteen years old, first victim October seventeenth, nineteen seventy seven, should be sixty seven years old today. Judith Lynn Miller fifteen years old October thirty first, nineteen seventy seven. Should be sixty two years old today. Should have graduated high school, college, built a career, a family. Lysa Casten twenty one years old November fifth, nineteen seventy seven, waitress and dancer dreams of making it in Hollywood. Should be sixty eight years old today. Jane King twenty eight years old November ninth, nineteen seventy seven, aspiring actress. Should be seventy five years old today. Delores Dolly Sepeda twelve years old November thirteenth, nineteen seventy seven. Just a child getting off a bus from school. Should be fifty nine years old today. A grandmother, maybe a career, a life Sonya Johnson fourteen years old November thirteenth, nineteen seventy seven, Dolly's Best Friend. Should be sixty one years old today. Christina Weckler twenty years old November seventeenth, nineteen seventy seven. College student injected with windex before being strangled. Should be sixty seven years old today.

19:23 Lauren Wagner eighteen years old November twenty eighth, nineteen seventy seven. Business school student abducted from her own front yard. Should be sixty five years old today. Kimberly Diane Martin seventeen years old December fourteenth, nineteen seventy seven. Thought she'd be safer with an agency. She was wrong. Should be sixty four years old today. Cindy Lee Hudspeth twenty years old February sixteenth, nineteen seventy eight, so proud of her new orange car, found dead in its trunk. Should be sixty seven years old to day. Karen Mandick twenty two years old January eleventh, nineteen seventy nine, forty seven years ago today, should be sixty nine years old today. Diane Wilder twenty seven years old January eleventh, nineteen seventy nine, should be seventy four years old today. Twelve names, twelve futures destroyed, Twelve families that spent decades waiting for justice that only partially came. Angelo Buono died in prison, never admitted guilt, never apologized. Kenneth Bianchi Anthony Dematto is still alive, still filing motions, still claiming innocence, still hoping someone will believe him after forty six years. But we remember the victims.

20:46 We say their names, We acknowledged they were people, not just Hillside Strangler victims, but daughters, sisters, friends, students, dreamers, human beings whose lives were stolen by two monsters who posed as police officers. Someone has to say their names. That's Part two of our Hillside Strangler's Special. Forty seven years ago today, Karen Mandick and Diane Wilder were murdered in Bellingham, Washington. Their deaths finally exposed Kenneth Bianki, finally connected him to the Los Angeles murders, finally brought down the Hillside Strangler partnership. Two cousins, twelve confirmed victims, fake badges, an upholstery shop of horrors, a failed insanity defense, a girlfriend who tried to commit copycat murder with smuggled seamen in a rubber glove tied with rosary beads. Truth is stranger than fiction. Buono died in prison in two thousand and two. Bianki, now calling himself Anthony Demato, was denied paroles six months ago, will be eligible again in twenty thirty five, at age eighty four. The Hillside Strangler case changed Los Angeles changed, how task forces were organized, changed how serial killer investigations were coordinated between agencies. The fear that gripped the city for those four months left scars that took years to heal, and the victims' families still dealing with the trauma, still showing up at parole hearings, still fighting to keep a seventy four year old monster

22:17 behind bars. Rest in peace to all twelve victims, Yolanda, Judith, Lyssa, Jane, Dolly, Sonya, Christina, Lauren, Kimberly, Cindy, Karen, and Diane. Your names, your lives, your futures mattered. I'm reed, Carter. Tomorrow, we're back to regular court coverage. This is celebrity trials.