Serial Killers

Christopher Dorner: Other Notable Manhunts Throughout U.S. History

The search for disgraced LAPD officer and alleged-killer Christopher Dorner is one of the biggest dragnets for a suspect in the department's history and has put cops on extended hours, with police from the border to San Bernardino County on high alert overnight. It will surely make the history book ... More >>

Would You Buy Art Created by a Serial Killer?

Ever wanted to buy a half-eaten bag of Reese's Pieces, owned by Charles Manson? Well, for $425 they're yours, from a black market in serial killer memorabilia that has sprung up online. Now you can log on and buy charming watercolor paintings by child killers and hand-written letters from cannibals ... More >>

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 >>

Mark Berndt, L.A. Teacher Accused of Horrific Sex Crimes, Still Being Paid More Than $3,800 a Month -- Report

Mark Berndt, the 63-year-old former teacher accused of horrific crimes against children at a South Los Angeles elementary school, is actually enjoying a $3,800-a-month-plus pension that you couldn't take away from him even if he was put away for life. It's true. The revelation came last night afte ... More >>

Facebook Stokes Rumors of Serial Killer on The Loose in L.A. Harbor Area Following Cristian Alvarez's Murder: Cops Say it Ain't so

Edmond Yeo​There's a phantom serial killer on the loose in the L.A. Harbor area. He's so stealthy, in fact, that he doesn't actually exist. It is true that the body of 28-year-old mother Cristian Alvarez was found Jan. 2 in Wilmington. Then the Facebook page Life in Wilmington stoked rumors t ... 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 >>

Downtown L.A. Halloween Bar Crawl [Photo Gallery]

Guzzle & NoshPunch from Broadway Bar (top), the scene at Las Perlas (bottom), angry Scottish Highlanders from Seven Grand (right).​In Los Angeles, even the bars get dressed up for Halloween. This year, all eight of the downtown L.A. bars owned by Cedd Moses -- Casey's, Cole's, Las Perlas, Tony ... 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 >>

Children Of Bodom and The Top 30 Heavy Metal Songs Inspired By Horrific Acts Committed By Man's Inhumanity To Man

The last time I saw Children of Bodom perform live ended up being one of the strangest nights of my life. That night saw a chain of events that included meeting Rob Lowe, inadvertently being recruited to spend the night caring for a reality-TV star whose drink had been drugged, and spending a 24-hou ... 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 >>

Today in WTF: Wanna Buy an Elvis Presley Portrait Painted by Killer Clown John Wayne Gacy?

A charming little Las Vegas (of course) art gallery is auctioning off a set of paintings by everyone's favorite serial killer clown, John Wayne Gacy. The show is called "ZOMG Pay Good Cashmoney for Crappy Prison Art by a Killer Clown LOL!!!" Actually, it's not called that (though it should totall ... 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 >>

Guilty: L.A. 'Westside Rapist' John Floyd Thomas Jr. Admits to Strangling 7 of His 30 Supposed Victims, Gets Life Term for Each

The Westside rapist, arrested in March 2009​Of the approximately 30 middle-aged white women police believe were raped, strangled or both by L.A. County resident John Floyd Thomas, Jr., now 74, in the 1970s and '80s, seven victims saw justice today when the notoriously prolific "Westside rapist ... 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 >>

Rodney Alcala, SoCal's 'Dating Game' Serial Killer, Charged With 1970s Murders of Cornelia Crilley and Ellen Hover in New York

Rodney Alcala on the "Dating Game" in 1978​The creepiest serial killer since "American Psycho" just got a little creepier. Sixty-seven-year-old Rodney Alcala, infamous for his calm, sophisticated demeanor and cameo on the "Dating Game" -- he won, but the date never happened because was voted ... 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 >>

'Law & Order Los Angeles' Gets Some Inspiration From Orange County

NBC'Law & Order' hits 'Ballona Creek'​We're proud to finally have our own Law & Order in the town that still rules television production. But - memo to the Law & Order Los Angeles' producers - this isn't Orange County, 'mkay? Gustavo Arellano at sister publication OC Weekly points out that ri ... More >>

Los Angeles Has A New Serial Murderer On The Loose: Authorities Connect Three Victims Killed Within 20-Year Span

Christine Pelisek helped to bring the 'Grim Sleeper' serial murder case to light in 2008.​Leave it to Christine Pelisek, the killer reporter who used work at the Weekly, to uncover a new serial murderer who's on-the-loose in Southern California. From her new base at the Daily Beast, Pelisek ... 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 >>

Top 5 Worst Criminal Nicknames: "Sneezing Sex Bandit," "Bubble Wrap Bandit" and More

Time was, police, criminals and the media all got together and came up with some great nicknames for killers, robbers and gangsters. They were evocative and descriptive, catchy and rhythmic. Sometimes elaborate, sometimes simple and elegant. So Joseph Bonanno is "Joey Bananas" and Michael DiLeonardo ... 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 >>

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 >>

Orange County Judge Sentences Serial Killer and Dating Game Winner Rodney Alcala to Death (UPDATED)

​ (UPDATED after jump): An Orange County judge this morning sentenced convicted serial killer Rodney Alcala to death. Judge Francisco Briseno said the former Los Angeles Times typesetter had an "abnormal interest in young girls." The judge also said Alcala's testimony in court was not credibl ... More >>

Did Convicted Serial Killer and Dating Game Winner Rodney Alcala Kill Others?

View more photos in the "Convicted Serial Killer Rodney Alcala's Creepy Personal Photograph Collection" slideshow. Huntington Beach Police Department detectives are trying to identify women, girls, boys and toddlers who appear in hundreds of photos seized from a storage locker in Seattle, Washingt ... More >>

Rodney Alcala's Final Revenge

Begged to spare victims' families at trial, the alleged serial killer ratchets up the suffering

Dating Game serial killer suspect Alcala cross-examines himself over his hair

​ Could the trial of alleged "Dating Game" serial killer Rodney Alcala possibly get any stranger? Yep, it can. Alcala, who is representing himself as he faces the possible death penalty in an Orange County court, took the stand Tuesday and began asking questions of himself, in third-person, ab ... More >>

Rodney Alcala: The Fine Art of Killing

One man’s murderous romp through polite society

Grim Sleeper Serial Killer Sketch Released

​The Los Angeles Police Department released a composite drawing of the Grim Sleeper, a serial killer responsible for the murders of 11 people in South Los Angeles between 1985 and 2007. The drawing was re-released by the LAPD after 21 years. The killer was described in 1988 by one of his vic ... More >>

Grim Sleeper Task Force Discusses Serial Case with FBI Profilers

Grim Sleeper Task Force members met with Federal Bureau of Investigation profilers recently to discuss the decades-long case and see if the federal agency had any suggestions about how to catch the elusive killer who has evaded the Los Angeles Police Department since 1985. "They research serial ki ... More >>

Group Demands Progress on Grim Sleeper

1980s-era activists return to fight a serial killer in South-Central

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" Story Stirs Comment

Plus, coffee talk with Jonathan Gold

LA Weekly Catches Grief Over Serial Killer Nickname

L.A. Weekly has been getting loads of grief about our choice to name L.A.'s elusive serial killer the Grim Sleeper. (Because he stopped killing Angelenos for 13 years, but now he's back.) This afternoon, comedian Patton Oswalt, who was guest hosting on Indie 103.1's “Jonesy's Jukebox,” ridiculed ... More >>

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

I Stand Before You Naked

Sympathy for the Monster?

Heat

Summer in the city