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To date, the Hillside Strangler murders have been covered in painstaking detail in a variety of different media. Past coverage even includes not one but two docuseries. Investigation Discovery debuted a program profiling the case in 2021. One year later, Peacock premiered a Hillside Strangler series of their own. However, with true crime content in high demand, MGM+ is poised to release another docuseries chronicling the case.
What sets this upcoming series apart is that the creative team behind the project has secured an exclusive interview with Frank Salerno, the homicide detective who cracked the case in 1979. The upcoming coverage will mark the first time he’s told his story in more than 40 years. So, while the existence of yet another docu-series on the subject might initially seem superfluous, the program actually makes a strong case for its existence by pulling Salerno into the fold.
What’s more, Kenneth Bianchi, who was convicted of the Hillside Strangler murders alongside his cousin Angelo Buono, is going on record to tell his story for the first time.
With all that in mind, this upcoming docu-series is one you likely won’t want to miss. If you’re interested in taking in the program, you will be able to check it out on MGM+ beginning January 18, 2026.
The series is executive produced by Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Tim Walsh, and Peter LoGreco. LoGreco also sat at the helm of the project and worked as the showrunner on the program.
MGM+ describes the setup like this:
In the late 1970s, Los Angeles was the serial murder capital of the world. The Freeway Killers. The Toolbox Killers. The Dating Game Killer. The Skid Row Slasher. But none terrorized this city of millions more than the Hillside Strangler, a phantom who struck without warning, abducting, raping, and murdering a dozen women and girls and leaving their bodies displayed on the hillsides like grim trophies. These crimes sparked the largest manhunt in LA’s blood-soaked history, led by a relentless homicide detective named Frank Salerno. His dogged pursuit led to the strangler’s capture and the revelation that these vicious acts were perpetrated by two men, Kenneth Bianchi and his cousin Angelo Buono.
Stay tuned to Dread Central for more updates on true crime programming in the very near future. In the meantime, make sure to follow us on X (formerly Twitter) so you never miss out on an exciting update.
Categorized: News