MGM+’s new The Hillside Strangler documentary series dives into the case of the serial killers who terrorized LA back in the ’70s. The four-part docuseries, which is set to premiere on Sunday, January 18, 2026 at 9pm ET/PT, features a new interview with former homicide detective Frank Salerno, who was responsible for cracking the case.
Peter LoGreco (We’re Here, Kids Behind Bars: Life or Parole) is the director and showrunner, with LoGreco, Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, and Tim Walsh executive producing.
MGM+ offered this description of the docuseries:
“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.
After the longest criminal trial in U.S. history, both were sentenced to life in prison, and Salerno’s work became legend. It was the case that defined his career and set him on the path to later bring down the Night Stalker. Now, for the first time in over 40 years, Frank Salerno tells his story, revisiting the case that changed him forever. But he isn’t the only one ready to talk. Angelo Buono died behind bars in 2002, but Kenneth Bianchi is alive in prison and has never been willing to share his story on camera—until now.”
