Lonnie Franklin Jr.

Grim Sleeper: 42 Creepy Photos of Unidentified Women, Some Unconsious, Released

A Grim Sleeper serial murder suspect is behind bars and facing a murder case of historic proportions that alleges he killed 10 women and dumped their bodies around South L.A. But detectives believe Lonnie Franlkin Jr. might be linked to as many as eight other homicide cases and fear even more women ... More >>

The 'Teardrop Rapist' of South Los Angeles May Have Raped 28 Girls Since 1999

Updated at the bottom: The Teardrop Rapist is back, and he's raping Angelenos. Originally posted at 9 a.m. This guy is almost like L.A.'s notorious Grim Sleeper, without the murder streak: A 40-something Latino man with a teardrop tattoo beneath his left eye has been snatching girls from dark all ... More >>

Cliff Shepard, LAPD Detective Who Helped Nab the Grim Sleeper, on the Cases He Cracked and the Ones That Got Away

Detective Cliff Shepard has served with the Los Angeles Police Department for 37 years and 13 days. He retires today, bringing to a close a career spent tracking and catching some of the most notorious serial killers in L.A.'s history. There was Rodney Acala, the handsome and charismatic UCLA gradu ... More >>

Grim Sleeper Suspect Tied to Six More Murders, Cops Say: LAPD to Hold Community Forum Tomorrow

Lonnie Franklin Jr.​The Los Angeles Police Department will host a "community forum" in South L.A. tomorrow following revelations that investigators have allegedly linked six more victims to Grim Sleeper serial killer suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. The Los Angeles Times reported over the weekend ... More >>

Wendy Greuel L.A. Mayoral Election 2013 Antics: Why is She Acting Like a Blond Version of Schwarzenegger on 'Waste, Fraud, Abuse'?

ladailyblog.blogspot.comWendy Greuel's image is getting fuzzy. ​Is Wendy Greuel running for Los Angeles mayor by acting like a blond version of the failed Arnold Schwarzenegger, decrying waste, fraud and abuse? She's fired off an election-aimed press release asking the City Council's inept Au ... More >>

DNA Testing of California Arrestees Shot Down; 'Grim Sleeper' Suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. Wouldn't Have Been Caught Without It

Lonnie Franklin Jr. was just a sketch, before DNA testing made him a suspect.​We totally get the Fourth Amendment crusade against testing the DNA of any and every person arrested on felony charges: It's invasive, preemptive and Big Brother-esque. But even if only 50 percent of said arrestee ... More >>

Grim Sleeper Suspect's Voice Recording Sought: Cops Think Lonnie Franklin Jr Made Creepy 911 Call Exposing Victim No. 3

Lonnie.​One of the creepiest aspects of the Grim Sleeper serial murder case has been the 911 call in 1987 alerting cops that someone threw a body out of van (audio after the jump). The man's voice even gave a plate number. And when officers arrived to the alley in the 1300 block of East 56th S ... More >>

D.A. Seeks Death Penalty for 'Grim Sleeper' Suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr.; Alleged L.A. Serial Killer to Cost Taxpayers More Millions

LAPDLonnie David Franklin Jr.​Lonnie Franklin Jr., the man on trial for allegedly killing 10 women and attempting to kill one more (her survivor's tale, here), maybe be pleading "not guilty" to the charges -- but his lawyer seems to be the only one buying that story. According to the Associat ... More >>

Grim Sleeper Serial-Killer Trial Delayed Until August, Because 'Everyone Gets Due Process'

Lonnie David Franklin, Jr. gets another break​LAPD detectives and District Attorney Steve Cooley may be sure they have their guy, but the trial of suspected L.A. Grim Sleeper serial killer Lonnie Franklin, Jr. -- who is accused of killing over 10 black women over three decades, many of them pr ... More >>

Grim Sleeper: Eight More Victims Linked to Case of Alleged Serial Killer Lonnie Franklin Jr., Cops Say

Lonnie Franklin Jr.​Updated: In an exclusive, Christine Pelisek of the Daily Beast has the names and photos of the new victims connected to the investigation -- here. We also update after the jump with some of the names police have subsequently put forward. LAPD detectives say they [added:] m ... More >>

'Grim Sleeper' Serial Murder Suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr., Accused of Killing 10 Women in L.A., to Stand Trial

Lonnie Franklin, Jr.​Get ready for another huge murder trial in L.A. A grand jury indictment accusing "Grim Sleeper" serial-killer suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. with the murders of 10 women was returned Wednesday and unsealed today. What that means is that the case can proceed to trial. While ... More >>

Dear Los Angeles Times, Re: 'Grim Sleeper Didn't "Sleep"': We Know You're Bitter, But the Name's Still Awesome (and Appropriate)

The Weekly's original cover art​The LA Times is giddy with revenge today in the front-page, full-color "Grim Sleeper Didn't 'Sleep'," all but calling Lonnie Franklin Jr. -- the notorious L.A. prostitute-killer now suspected of murdering two more women during his mysterious 14-year hiatus -- th ... More >>

Becky Johnson's Story: Woman Claims She Was Attacked By Grim Sleeper Serial Murder Suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. In 1979

Becky Johnson believes she might have been a victim of the Grim Sleeper.​Update: Los Angeles police Det. Dennis Kilcoyne told the Weekly Thursday that this woman's story, which we first reported Jan. 4, does not point to any connections to the Grim Sleeper case. Among the oddities ascribed to ... More >>

LAPD Looking at Two Possible New Victims That Might be Connected to 'Grim Sleeper' Serial Murder Suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr.

​Los Angeles police are looking into two homicides that could be connected to the Grim Sleeper serial murder case. The victims are women from South Los Angeles who died in the late 80s and early 90s, LAPD Det. Dennis Kilcoyne told the Weekly. "They're the most similar" of the unsolved homici ... More >>

[UPDATED WITH PHOTOS] 180 Naked Women In 'Grim Sleeper' Serial Killer's Photo Collection Might Be More Victims

PHOTO BY TED SOQUIFrom left: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, City Councilman Bernard Parks, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck​LAPDJanecia Peters, the Sleeper's last proven victim​Updated after the jump: No. 119 has been identified as Janecia Peters (pictured, right) -- one of the Sleeper's known victi ... More >>

If The Grim Sleeper's Victims Were Mostly White, Would It Have Taken Nearly Three Decades To Find A Suspect?

​The LAPD this week unleashed 180 eerie boudoir photos they say were kept by "Grim Sleeper" serial murder suspect Lonnie Franklin, Jr. Detectives are concerned that some of the creepy pictures could represent more possible victims in a crime spree they say spanned the 1980s to the 2000s. Cop ... More >>

'Grim Sleeper' Girls Go Big On 86 Digital Billboards Across Los Angeles

PHOTO BY TED SOQUIThe LAPD released 180 photos from the collection of serial killer Lonnie Franklin Jr. yesterday​Clear Channel Outdoor may not care about erecting massive flashy ads-on-poles without a permit -- and will do anything in its power to keep the Weekly from finding out about it -- ... More >>

Former LA Weekly Staffer Christine Pelisek Praised By Columbia Journalism Review For Her Coverage Of 'Grim Sleeper' Serial Murder Case

Former LA Weekly staffer Christine Pelisek continues to receive praise for her 'Grim Sleeper' coverage.​The latest edition of CJR (Columbia Journalism Review) recognizes former LA Weekly staff writer Christine Pelisek for her work on the "Grim Sleeper" case. Woman hasn't been around the office ... More >>

Could L.A. Murder-Spree Suspect John Wesley Ewell Be Sloppy 'Grim Sleeper' Copycat?

In August 2008, the LA Weekly broke the story of the Grim Sleeper serial killer​His name is John Wesley Ewell. He's a 53-year-old handyman from Harbor Gateway, and L.A. County sheriffs suspect he committed four cold-blooded murders during home-invasion robberies from Sept. 24 to Oct. 20. Now, ... More >>

Mike Penner's Difficult Life

Grim Sleeper Suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. Pleads Not Guilty

Lonnie David Franklin Jr.​The suspected Grim Sleeper serial killer pleaded not guilty this morning to the murders of 10 women and the attempted murder of another. Lonnie David Franklin Jr., a car mechanic with a long history of car theft, is charged with 10 counts of murder and one count of at ... More >>

L.A. City Pensioner Lonnie Franklin Jr.

Grim Sleeper suspect will haul in $1 million from taxpayers and city

Grim Sleeper Suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. Has Received $300,000 In City Pension Payments

LAPDLonnie Franklin Jr.​As we continue recoil at reports of public officials in Bell getting six-figure salaries and city loans, not-so-comforting news has come out of the city of Los Angeles, where former municipal worker Lonnie Franklin Jr., the LA Weekly has learned, has taken home about $3 ... More >>

Memorial Service Held for Grim Sleeper Serial Killer Victims

Victim Janecia Peters' family attend memorial service in South L.A.​Over 100 people, including family members and Los Angeles Police Department detectives, attended a memorial service last night for the 10 victims of the Grim Sleeper serial killer. The two-hour service also marked the 25th ann ... More >>

New Attorney takes over Grim Sleeper Defense

Lonnie David Franklin Jr.​A new defense attorney is representing the so-called Grim Sleeper serial killer who is accused of a series of killings that spanned two decades. Today, Lonnie Franklin Jr., a car mechanic with a long history of car theft, dismissed two alternate public defenders who w ... More >>

Arraignment Hearing Postponed for Grim Sleeper Suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr.

Lonnie David Franklin Jr.​ The arraignment hearing for Grim Sleeper suspect Lonnie David Franklin Jr. was postponed this morning. Franklin, 57, is charged with 10 counts of murder and one count of attempted murder for a series of killings that date back to 1985. Franklin, who appeared in court ... More >>

Grim and Grimmer

Grim Sleeper: LA Weekly Staffer Christine Pelisek To Be Honored At City Hall For Coverage Of Serial Murder Investigation

Christine Pelisek.​LA Weekly staff writer Christine Pelisek was scheduled to be honored Wednesday for her work in keeping the Grim Sleeper serial murder case on the minds of police and the public and for unearthing details of the case that had gone undiscovered. City Councilman Bernard Park ... More >>

Police Staked Out Neighbor Of Grim Sleeper Suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. For A Month

Ted SoquiCasa Grim, according to police.​One of the more riveting stories to emerge from last week's arrest of Grim Sleeper serial-murder suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. is LA Weekly reporter Christine Pelisek's revelation in Thursday's edition of the newspaper that police staked out a home only t ... More >>

Dept. Of Too Soon: Who Will Play Media Characters In Grim Sleeper Saga?

FishblowlLA​Local media watchers at FishbowlLA wondered aloud on Thursday who would be cast to play news media characters if the Grim Sleeper case becomes a movie. Weekly reporter Christine Pelisek doggedly pursued the story and, with editor Jill Stewart (pictured), came up with the Grim Sleep ... More >>

Grim Sleeper Search Warrant Released by LA County District Attorney

​[First posted at 4:22 p.m.] The Los Angeles County District Attorney released the search warrant in the case of the Grim Sleeper. The 23-page search warrant detailed the 11 alleged murders dating back to 1985 committed by 57-year-old Lonnie David Franklin Jr. The warrant also portrayed Fra ... More >>

LAPD Detective: "I believe there are additional, as yet unidentified, victims of Lonnie David Franklin Jr"

​Los Angeles Police Department detective Paul Coulter wrote in a search warrant released today that: "I believe there are additional, as yet unidentified, victims of Lonnie David Franklin Jr." Detectives admitted earlier this week that the alleged Grim Sleeper Franklin could be responsible fo ... More >>

New York Times Launches Online Debate On Familial DNA Following Grim Sleeper Arrest

​Following the recent arrest of Grim Sleeper suspect Lonnie Franklin, the New York Times has launched a discussion on whether or not using familial DNA searches to track down convicted criminals is ethical. Franklin was arrested and charged with at least ten counts of murder after police con ... More >>

Grim Sleeper Serial Murder Case Wasn't First To Rely On 'Familial DNA:' BTK Killer Was Caught That Way

​Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck said the arrest of Grim Sleeper serial murder suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. "will change the way policing is done in the United States." And ABC Nightline correspondent David Write declared Monday night that "for the first time ever in this country the DNA ... More >>

Family Of Barbara Ware, Victim Of Grim Sleeper, Reflect On An Eventful Week

Updated: Now with photos. Ted SoquiDiana Ware, step-mom of Barbara Ware​ Larina Corlew needed to be in Church Sunday. "Church is a good place to be because it reinforces the need to forgive," she said. "But it's hard." Corlew's beloved step-sister Barbara Ware was murdered in 1987 by the so ... More >>

Grim Sleeper Suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. Had Long Arrest Record But No DNA Was Taken

Lonnie Franklin Jr.​Lonnie Franklin Jr., the man authorities allege is the Grim Sleeper serial killer, was arrested 15 times over the years for crimes including car theft, burglary and assault. But because his crimes were adjudicated before a 2004 law requiring California felons to submit to ... More >>

In Wake Of Grim Sleeper Arrest, Jerry Brown Says He'll Defend Practice Of Collecting DNA From California Felons

​Citing the DNA-triggered arrest of a suspect in the Grim Sleeper serial murder case, state Attorney General Jerry Brown says he'll defend the state against an ACLU lawsuit that challenge's California's collection of DNA from every convicted felon. The A.G.'s lawyers on Tuesday, in fact, will ... More >>

Grim Sleeper Sleuth Christine Pelisek Tells Daily Beast: "How I tracked Lonnie David Franklin"

Serial killer sleuth Christine Pelisek​Award-winning Los Angeles Weekly crime reporter Christine Pelisek today reveals how she tracked the Grim Sleeper serial killer, Lonnie David Franklin Jr. An excerpt is below. Read it all in the Daily Beast. That day, in January 2006, was stranger than us ... More >>

Map Of Victims Tied To Grim Sleeper Case Has Suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr.'s Home At Epicenter

View Grim Sleeper Suspect Lonnie David Franklin Lived at Murder Epicenter in a larger map By Steve La and Dennis Romero A map of the locations of the bodies tied to the Grim Sleeper case appears to put the South Los Angeles home of suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. almost at the epicenter of the violen ... More >>

In case of Grim Sleeper Lonnie Franklin, Debate Over Familial DNA

​ The LAPD's unique method for finding and arresting Lonnie David Franklin, Jr, is called familial DNA tracing -- using DNA from a crime scene to find a brother, uncle or son of a perpetrator if you can't find the perpetrator himself. Although Franklin's DNA wasn't in a massive California felo ... More >>

Officials Trumpet New DNA Avenue In Grab Of Grim Sleeper Suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr.

Chief Charlie Beck.​Officials outside the downtown Los Angeles Police Administration Building on Thursday trumpeted the nation's first use of "familial" DNA testing that was used to track down the suspect they believe is South L.A.'s Grim Sleeper serial killer. Los Angeles police Chief Charli ... More >>

Does Google Maps Street View Show Grim Sleeper Suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr?

Google Maps​As an LA Weekly commenter pointed out Wednesday night, there's something possibly creepy caught by Google's Street View camera: A shot of the Grim Sleeper serial murder suspect's home shows two men standing outside, with a car parked out front that has its hood up.

Lonnie David Franklin Jr., Alleged Grim Sleeper Serial Killer, Arraignment Postponed

By Steve La, J. Patrick Coolican and Clarissa Wei ​ The arraignment of the alleged "Grim Sleeper," Lonnie David Franklin, Jr., has been postponed until August 9. Cameras were barred from the courtroom by the L.A. Superior Court Judge, who ordered the 57-year old alleged serial killer held ... More >>

Grim Sleeper Probe Expands To Determine If Suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. Can Be Connected To Unsolved Murders

LAPDLonnie Franklin Jr.​Los Angeles police on Thursday said detectives were looking into several unsolved homicides -- all with women as the victims -- to see if they might be connected to the Grim Sleeper serial murder case. Lonnie Franklin Jr. was arrested at his home in South Los Angeles W ... More >>

Chaos in the Casitas

Lawless, south of the border-style speakeasies get a grip on L.A.

Bound Together by the Grim Sleeper

L.A. family of serial killer's victims meet at long last

Grim Sleeper's Sole Survivor

Relishing life, a tough churchgoing mom is at the center of the Los Angeles serial-killer mystery

Grim Sleeper Returns: He's Murdering Angelenos, as Cops Hunt his DNA

The most elusive serial killer west of the Mississippi took a 13-year break. Now he's back