Journalist warns that purge at the FBI and CIA could lead to next 9/11
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Fox News
42 minutes ago
- Fox News
Notorious 'Hillside Strangler' seeks freedom after decades behind bars despite expert warnings
One of the notorious "Hillside Stranglers" was recently considered for potential parole in Washington state, with many asking how someone convicted of such heinous crimes could be considered for release. "When people hear that Kenneth Bianchi, one of the men known as the Hillside Stranglers, is up for parole again, it brings back fear and sadness for the families of the victims," retired FBI special agent Jason Pack tells Fox News Digital. "These families lost daughters, sisters, and friends in some of the most brutal and cold-hearted crimes this country has seen. For them, this hearing isn't just a legal step. It forces them to relive painful memories they've carried for decades." Anthony D'Amato, formerly known as Kenneth Bianchi, is one of the infamous "Hillside Stranglers," responsible for a series of murders involving women and girls during the late 1970s, including two killings in Washington. D'Amato and his cousin, Angelo Buono, were also convicted of murdering five individuals in Southern California. Buono passed away in a California prison in 2002. Acting alone, D'Amato also killed two women in the Bellingham area. Though suspected of additional killings, he was never convicted of those crimes. D'Amato then legally changed his name from Bianchi in 2023. "As a retired FBI agent who spent years working violent crime and studying the behavior of offenders like Bianchi, I can tell you that this kind of danger does not simply go away with age," Pack said. "His crimes were carefully planned. He picked out his victims, gained their trust, and then attacked and killed them. Even after his arrest, Bianchi worked hard to avoid responsibility. He faked mental illness, claimed to have multiple personalities, and tried to manipulate doctors and the justice system," Pack pointed out. Pack said the fact that D'Amato changed his name could be seen as another attempt to distance himself from his past and confuse the process. "Some people watching at home may wonder why he's even getting a parole hearing. The reason is simple: under the law, certain types of sentences require parole reviews at scheduled times. This does not mean he is likely to be released. The parole board will consider many things: how serious his crimes were, how he has behaved in prison, whether he has shown real remorse, and what risk he would pose if ever released," Pack explained. "In Bianchi's case, the pattern of lies, manipulation and lack of accountability should weigh heavily against him." Pack added that even though Bianchi is now 74 years old, "age does not erase the mindset that led him to kill." "The thinking, manipulation and risk factors that made him dangerous in the past remain present today. People like him can still manipulate others, even from behind bars," Pack said. Even if paroled in Washington, California has active murder charges pending, Pack explained, working to ease concerns for those who are worried about public safety if he is paroled. "It's important to know that even if Washington state were to grant him parole, which I think is unlikely, California has multiple life sentences waiting for him. He would not be released into the community. He would be immediately transferred to California to serve those sentences," Pack said. Realistically, Pack said Bianchi could remain incarcerated well into old age – likely until death. Despite disturbing headlines, parole does not guarantee release, Pack said, adding that Bianchi still faces serious legal roadblocks. "At the end of the day, the families of the victims deserve peace. The community deserves to feel safe. And the justice system has a responsibility to make sure a man who caused so much harm remains where he belongs – behind bars," Pack said. After committing a series of violent crimes, including the sexual assault and murder of women in the Los Angeles area, D'Amato was employed as a security guard in Bellingham in January 1979. During his time there, he persuaded two Western Washington University students, Karen Mandic and Diane Wilder, to accompany him to a residence, where he subsequently strangled them. These murders prompted law enforcement to link D'Amato to approximately 10 similar cases in California. To avoid a death sentence, D'Amato pleaded guilty in Washington and received two consecutive life sentences without parole. During his incarceration, D'Amato has made repeated legal attempts to overturn his Washington convictions, arguing, among other things, that his confession was obtained under hypnosis. He has consistently proclaimed his innocence. Pack said that during the time of Bianchi's conviction, California law allowed for periodic parole hearings, even for convicted murderers. That law remains applicable to those sentenced under it. D'Amato's parole requests have been denied on multiple occasions in recent years in both Washington state and California. D'Amato, now 74 and incarcerated at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, was originally scheduled for a parole hearing in May 2025, which was later delayed. The board is expected to publish its decision by July 23. Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
Suspect in anti-ICE Texas shooting granted green card under Biden administration
FIRST ON FOX: One of the suspects charged with ties to the anti-ICE attack at the Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas, was granted a green card under the Biden administration and is a prior recipient of DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada, 38, is the husband of one of the alleged attackers. He is referenced in the unsealed criminal complaint lodged against 10 individuals who allegedly attacked the detention center over the weekend, which resulted in an Alvarado police officer being shot in the neck. The officer is expected to recover. The 10 suspects are facing federal charges, including multiple counts of attempted murder of a federal officer and "discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence." Sanchez-Estrada was part of a separate criminal complaint, as he was arrested by the FBI on Monday on a felony charge of "conspiracy to tamper with evidence" as they were executing a search warrant. The unsealed complaint alleges that Sanchez-Estrada was seen "carrying multiple packages from his residence to his truck." The box included "anti-government propaganda," including one entitled "Organising for Attack! Insurrectionary Anarchy." The term "insurrectionary anarchy" is explained as a "subset of anarchism that stands out for its commitment to violence and revolutionary insurrection," according to a Perspectives on Terrorism journal article, which is part of the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, from March 2024. The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point also had a journal article in March 2023 that explained "insurrectionary anarchism is regarded as the most serious form of domestic (non-jihadi) terrorist threat." According to ICE sources, he was born in 1986 and arrived in the United States with a Border Crossing Card at the Laredo, Texas, port of entry in 2001, when he was a teenager. He was granted DACA status in 2013, and he filed for renewals for DACA in 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022. Sanchez-Estrada was also arrested by local Texas police for alleged possession of a controlled substance in 2020, but the charge was dismissed two months later. He was granted a green card in April 2024 after applying in September 2023. On Friday, a heavily armed group allegedly lured two unarmed ICE agents into a parking lot by firing a barrage of fireworks at their door, and spray-painting graffiti on their personal cars with the words "traitor" and "Ice Pig," which agents could see from the cameras inside, last Friday. At around the same time, a police officer responded to their 911 call for two men firing rounds from a nearby tree line, and an officer was hit in the neck, which forced the agents to take cover. A July 7 criminal complaint filed by the U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas alleges that assailants shot 20 to 30 rounds from an AR-15-style rifle before it jammed, causing it to malfunction. Suspect Bradford Morris was arrested while trying to flee from the scene in a red Hyundai van. While in custody, he told an FBI agent he had been "part of a Signal Group Chat for a while and that he had been invited to the group chat years ago after attending a protest." He allegedly drove to the incident with another suspect and two people he only knew by their nicknames, "Champagne and Rowan." Inside Morris' van, police found a revolver, two AR-15 rifles, two Kevlar vests, a ballistic helmet and a loaded magazine. According to the criminal complaint, Morris "claimed that he met some people online and transported some of them down from Dallas" to the center in order to "make some noise." Police also found seven suspects in black military fatigues wandering in a field 300 yards away, some of whom were covered in mud from trying to escape on foot. Police said they also had weapons, vests and radios. The attack comes amid rising concerns about hostilities toward ICE and Border Patrol agents amid left-wing criticisms of the Trump administration's immigration policies. This week, a gunman was killed ambushing Border Patrol at an annex facility in McAllen, Texas. A McAllen police officer was shot in the leg and two Border Patrol personnel were injured, according to the Department of Homeland Security. "They vandalized vehicles and security cameras at the detention center and slashed federal vehicle tires. Responding officers made arrests. ICE is actively working with the FBI and the Texas Rangers regarding the incident," a DHS spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday. "Threats or acts of violence toward law enforcement officers will NOT be tolerated. Secretary Noem has made it clear: If you threaten or attempt to harm a law enforcement officer, we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law," the statement continued.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Comey Tracked by Secret Service After Post Critical of Trump
The Secret Service had the former F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, followed by law enforcement authorities in unmarked cars and street clothes and tracked the location of his cellphone the day after he posted an image on social media in May that President Trump's allies said amounted to a threat to assassinate the president, according to three government officials. Mr. Comey and his wife, Patrice, were tailed by the authorities as they drove from the North Carolina coast, where they had been vacationing, through Virginia to their home in the Washington area, the officials said, describing the details of the surveillance on condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified discussing a federal investigation. At the same time, the Secret Service was receiving information showing the location of Mr. Comey's phone while federal authorities were stationed at his home waiting for him to return, the officials said. The intense surveillance occurred a day after Mr. Comey, long perceived by Mr. Trump as an enemy, had posted a photo on social media of seashells he had found while he walked on the beach. The shells were arranged in the formation '86 47,' combining a slang term meaning to dismiss or remove with the numerical designation of Mr. Trump's second presidency. Trump critics have often displayed the phrase on signs and clothing at protests. T-shirts saying both '86 47,' referring to Mr. Trump, and '86 46,' referring to former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., are available for sale on Amazon. Shortly after the image was posted, Donald Trump Jr. wrote on social media that Mr. Comey was 'casually calling for my dad to be murdered.' The accusation created a firestorm online, as Mr. Trump's supporters accused Mr. Comey of plotting to assassinate the president. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
