‘Bizarre Behavior’ Abbreviates Parole Hillside Strangler’s Former Girlfriend Back In Prison

Thu., June 13, 1996

By Adam Lynn adaml@spokesman.com

The Hillside Strangler’s former girlfriend is back in prison after exhibiting “bizarre behavior” - including answering her door in the nude and painting pornographic murals - during her short-lived parole in Cheney.

The state parole board ruled last month that Veronica L. Compton is a danger to society and should be locked up for at least five more years.

Compton, 40, was recently transferred from the Spokane County Jail to the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor.

“The chair finds Ms. Compton to be dangerous,” panel chairwoman Kathryn S. Bail wrote in a report explaining the board’s decision. “Any further consideration of parole, at any time, should be done with extreme caution.”

Compton was convicted in 1981 of first-degree attempted murder in an attack on a Bellingham, Wash., woman. Compton was paroled in February after serving more than 14 years of a life prison sentence.

Authorities allowed Compton to move to Cheney so she could be with her husband, Eastern Washington University government professor James Wallace. Wallace and Compton have a 3-year-old daughter, according to review board records.

Efforts to reach Wallace and Compton’s attorney, Brian O’Brien of Spokane, were unsuccessful.

Compton was arrested in Cheney this year, less than a month after being released.

State Department of Corrections officials said she stopped going to mental health counseling sessions and didn’t tell them. That’s a violation under the rules of her parole.

But that was only a part of why the review board decided to send her back to prison.

Compton’s “bizarre behavior” combined with her “lying and dishonesty” with the review board were the main reasons, members stated.

Shortly before her latest arrest, Compton reportedly answered the door nude when police and Child Protective Services workers arrived to remove her 3-year-old daughter, who a state psychologist felt was unsafe with Compton.

Officials also reported finding large murals depicting sexually explicit scenes hanging on the inside walls of the house.

Compton had painted the murals, “which were inappropriate for a home with a 3-year-old,” according to the review board’s report. “According to professionals, there was no question these murals were pornographic.”

In addition, Compton recently wrote an article about necrophilia and other sexual perversions for Crime and Criminals magazine.

“Together, these factors indicated that Ms. Compton was still as deeply fascinated with crime, criminals, murder, and sexual acting out, as she was at the time of her (1980) crime,” the board stated.

Police and prosecutors who investigated the attempted murder case said Compton tried to strangle a cocktail waitress to provide an alibi for Hillside Strangler Kenneth Bianchi. Compton professed her love for Bianchi and said she wanted to have his baby.

, DataTimes

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.