Could A Notorious Killer Win Parole From A Washington State Prison?

On January 11th, 1979 22 year-old Karen Mandic and 27 year-old Diane Wilder, students at Western Washington University, were hired by a security guard they met to help guard a home in Bellingham while work was being done on the alarm system.  That was the last time the women would be seen alive.

The next morning their bodies were found inside the hatchback of Diane Wilder's car, strangled to death and sexually assaulted.  The car was parked in a remote part of Bellingham.   It would take another nine months before police would arrest their killer.  Bellingham PD would soon discover they had one of the deadliest serial killers in history on their hands.

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It wasn't long before the man they had in custody, Kenneth Bianchi, would be linked to the rapes and deaths of 10 other women in Los Angeles, California.  LAPD had yet to catch a break in the case of the "Hillside Stranger".  They caught that break after Bellingham Police contacted them for information on Bianchi.  The dots quickly connected between the Washington and California murders.

Bianchi would then implicate his cousin Angelo Buono, as his accomplice in the California rapes and murders.  The Washington murders were committed by Bianchi alone as he moved to Bellingham in 1978 after the 10th murder committed in California.  Bianchi pled guilty to the murders Diane Wild and Karen Mendic's murders (along with 5 of the California murders) in order to avoid the death penalty.  He received two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.

That Changed During His First Hearing With The ISRB

The Indeterminate Sentence Review Board (ISRB) is Washington State's version of a parole board.  They have the ability to release prisoners before the completion of their sentence, regardless of the crime.  We brought this board to your attention recently with regard to the murderers of Ki-Be teacher Bob Mars.  In 1990, state law mandated the board change Bianchi's sentence to 118 years instead of life in prison.

The way the system works is an inmate can apply to the board for release if they meet certain criteria (like good behavior) and have more than 5 years remaining on their sentence.  If they are not granted release they can apply again in another 5 years.  Kenneth Bianchi applied for and was denied release in 2018 and had 120 months added to his sentence (because he did not attend his hearing).  He attended his next hearing in 2020 where he was again denied, but received no additional time.

The Hillside Strangler Is No Longer The Hillside Strangler

Kenneth Bianchi has been serving his sentence at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary.  In 2023, he began the process of legally changing his name.  In November of that year Kenneth Bianchi officially became Anthony D'Amato.  This is the name that appears on the list for ISRB early release hearing...and maybe that is why it flew under the radar.

The hearing was originally scheduled for May, but was rescheduled for today.  Like all of their hearings, it is closed to the public.  The board members (pictured above) will determine the next step for The Hillside Strangler.  If they decide to release him, then D'Amato (Bianchi) will be extradited to California where he pleaded guilty to five murders and sentenced to six terms of life without parole to be served concurrently not consecutively.