At a Glance
- Veronica Compton attempted a copycat strangling to free her lover, Hillside Strangler Kenneth Bianchi
- She was sentenced to life in prison after the 1980 attack failed
- Compton escaped once, married a professor, had a child in custody, and re-entered prison twice
- Why it matters: Her story reveals how the notorious strangler manipulated followers even from death row
Veronica Compton, the would-be copycat killer who tried to stage a strangulation to free Kenneth Bianchi-half of the murderous Hillside Strangler duo-died on October 4, 2023, at age 67.
Compton’s life unraveled behind bars after she met Bianchi during a 1979 jailhouse interview and agreed to commit a “new” hillside murder so authorities would believe the real killer remained free. The plot failed, sending her to prison for decades.
A failed copycat murder in Bellingham
On a September night in 1980, Compton lured Kim Breed, a woman she met at a Washington bar, to a motel under the pretense of buying drugs. Once inside, she looped a homemade ligature around Breed’s neck and tried to strangle her.
Breed fought back and escaped. Detectives arrested Compton at her home days later. Prosecutors charged her with first-degree premeditated attempted murder; a jury convicted her after a three-hour deliberation and she received a life sentence.
Compton claimed the attack was performance art designed to publicize a play she had written, insisting Breed was “in on the game.” Jurors rejected the story.
Relationship with a killer
Compton began corresponding with Bianchi while he sat in an L.A. county jail awaiting trial. She told Pelican Bomb the research was for a screenplay, but the visits quickly turned romantic.
According to the docuseries The Hillside Strangler, Bianchi fashioned a noose from his shirt and taught Compton the garrote technique used on victims. Bianchi later denied the conversation.
“My relationship with Bianchi began just as my near deadly use of drugs escalated,” Compton admitted.
Escape, marriage, and repeated incarceration
Compton broke out of prison on July 26, 1988, cutting four fences with another inmate using pruning shears. Authorities captured both women 10 days later and added two years to her sentence.
While incarcerated she married James Wallace, an Eastern Washington University professor she met during a prison lecture. After a conjugal visit she gave birth to their daughter in 1993, returning to her cell hours after delivery.
Parole came in February 1996, yet she was back in custody within two weeks for missing counseling appointments and other violations. A final release followed in 2003.
Life after prison
Compton published a book the year she got out and released a music album, Home, in 2013. She co-hosted the podcast Jax Corner, produced more than 200 pieces of artwork, and lived in Arleta, California.
She died from internal bleeding and cardiac arrest, according to co-host Jackie Contreras. Survivors include daughter Juliet Wallace and son Steve Compton.
Key takeaways
- Compton’s botched 1980 murder attempt exposed the reach of Bianchi’s manipulation
- She spent more than 25 years in custody, escaping once and reoffending on parole
- Even after release, Compton remained linked to the strangler case that once made headlines across California
