WA board to consider parole for Hillside Strangler convicted of 1970s murders

The Washington Indeterminate Sentence Review Board will evaluate Anthony D’Amato’s eligibility for parole this Wednesday, a significant event given his history as one of the "Hillside Stranglers. " D’Amato, who murdered two women in Washington and was involved in multiple killings in California, is currently 74 years old. Originally scheduled for May, the hearing was postponed, and the board will release its decision online by July 23. In 2023, D’Amato changed his name from Kenneth Bianchi in a bid to distance himself from his past. He pleaded guilty in Washington to avoid the death penalty, receiving two life sentences without parole.

Due to a change in state law in 1990, his sentence was revised to over 118 years, allowing for a potential release at age 114. D’Amato has repeatedly challenged his convictions, claiming innocence and asserting that his confession was coerced. If he is denied parole, he faces additional time, and he will also confront a separate parole hearing in California next month.