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*Shout out to a Forensic Tales listener, Ariel, for requesting this story. If you would like to submit your favorite true crime case for a chance to have it featured on the show, send me an email: courtney@forensictales.com

The Hillside Strangler is responsible for terrorizing the city of Los Angeles between October 1977 and February 1978, killing 12 innocent women throughout the sunny California southland. Police quickly realize they aren’t just searching for one serial killer; they’re searching for two serial killers.

On October 17, 1977, the body of a nude female was discovered on a hillside near the Ventura freeway in Los Angeles, CA. She was identified as 19-year-old Yolanda Washington. Her body was left squeaky clean and showed signs of ligature marks on her neck, wrists, and ankles.

A second body was found on November 1, 1977, on Alta Terrace Drive. The young girl was identified as 15-year-old Judith “Judy” Miller. Similar to Yolanda, her body showed signs of ligature marks around her neck, wrists, and ankles. Police recovered a small piece of light-colored fluff from Judith’s eyelid, a key piece of evidence left behind by the killers.

Six days later, on November 6, 1977, the body of 21-year-old Elissa “Lissa” Kastin was discovered near the Chevy Chase Country Club in Glendale, CA. Just like the first two victims, she had been bound and strangled. 

The bodies of 7 more young female victims were found on hillsides over the next several weeks. The victims included Dolly Cepeda, Sonja Johnson, Kristina Weckler, Evelyn King, Lauren Wagner, Kimberly Martin, and Cindy Lee Hudspeth. All victims appeared to have been strangled. And all the victims appeared to have been killed elsewhere, and their bodies dumped on a hillside.