Local News in Brief : ‘Hillside’ Killer Says He’s Turned to Christ

“Hillside Strangler” Kenneth Bianchi, who is serving seven life terms in a Washington state prison for murdering young women, says he has become a born-again Christian. But not everybody believes him.

“My whole life has changed,” Bianchi told a Florida-based Christian group called Jesus Behind Bars in an interview broadcast on the syndicated television show “Entertainment Tonight.”

“I’ve turned the entire decision of whether or not I’ll ever be released, even though I have a chance for parole, I’ve turned the entire decision over to Jesus Christ,” the 37-year-old Bianchi said.

“When the Lord is ready to release me to the streets, he’ll open the doors.”

Gerald Chaleff, the attorney for Bianchi’s cousin, Angelo Buono, who was also convicted in the 1977-78 series of murders in the Los Angeles area and in Washington, is not convinced of the transformation.

“He’s a liar,” Chaleff said of Bianchi. “He’s just a manipulator. He’s doing everything he can to get out.”