Like the Boston Strangler and the Green River Murderer before him, the person responsible for a string of prostitute murders in Los Angeles during the '80s was given a catchy name that helped describe his killings.
Police dubbed the L.A. murderer the Grim Sleeper because it appeared he took a 14-year break in his crimes, from 1988 to 2002. But they never stopped pursing him.
On Wednesday, local mechanic and handyman Lonnie David Franklin Jr., 57, was charged with 10 counts of murder and one count of attempted murder under circumstances that could make him eligible for the death penalty.
Many of his alleged victims were prostitutes and all but one were women. The victims were shot, strangled or both usually after some type of sexual contact.
Porter Alexander thinks he lost his daughter, Alicia Monique Alexander, 18, in 1987 to the Grim Sleeper. Below he shows her picture.
Diana Ware (below), stepmother to Barbara Ware, allegedly the Grim Sleeper's fourth victim in January 1987, went to the suspect's house when the news broke.
Neighbors (below) said it was no secret that Franklin used the services of prostitutes in an old trailer he parked in his backyard in South Los Angeles, but neighbors also called Franklin a friendly, chatty man and said they wouldn't have guessed he'd be accused of such crimes.
Central to the police case against Franklin is a controversial science called "familial DNA search."
In this case, police found DNA evidence from Franklin's son in an unrelated arrest. When the son's DNA was compared to that found at the Grim Sleeper murder scene, it nearly matched.
Police then checked family members of the son. Detectives eyed Lonnie David Franklin Jr. as a suspect and got his DNA evidence from a cup he used at a local restaurant and from a slice of pizza crust.
Police said those DNA samples matched evidence found at the murder scenes.
Franklin had four earlier convictions for possession of stolen property and misdemeanor battery and assault -- none that would have hinted at a future serial murder charge.
So far, only California and Colorado formally allow the use of computer software to look for DNA profiles of possible relatives of a suspect.
Seems to me that if familial DNA is that useful that it could help find such an elusive suspect as Franklin, it should be in wider use around the country.
Every weapon in the police arsenal is needed to catch a killer.
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A lot about this story does not sit right with me. For one these women were prostitutes so any man's DNA could have been at the scene. I'm not saying he didn't do it.But police have found a new weapon called DNA misuse against African-Americans scary. It's like the Salem witch trials.
No, it's different than the witch trials. Just because you don't understand the technology doesn't mean it's Voodoo magic.
Just look at all the people who are being released from prison based on new DNA technology. I'd say those trials that put innocent people in jail were more like the witch trials. DNA and other new technologies actually bring us further from the witch hunts and closer to the truth.
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Twenty-Five Years! This man had been killing black folk for twenty-five years and this is the first time I heard of the killings! Maybe its the fact that I'm in North Carolina but I never heard of this case until a few days ago. As an African-American I'm not at all shcked that the mainstream media ignored it but I am dismayed that a site like BV has finally gotten around to writting about it. To know that women in my life could have been and may still be at risk because the media including BV does not feel that the deaths of our women are news worthy to print is sickening. Jeffery Dhammer picked black men because he knew that the media would ignore it so did this guy. In my area two black men have been villified because they killed Eve Carson prior to that how many black women did they kill before their crimes became noetworthy? This kind of journalistic-self hatred bothers me to no end! BV here something that you can do other than give us theories about why black women are single; try informing us about our missing children, and if there are anymore serial murderers targeting our community. BV is supposed to be serving our community right? Fogive me if I ranted but I have a mother, sisters, aunts and cousins that I love.
YOU SAID A MOUTHFUL THE MORE BLACK PEOPLE IN GENERAL ,AND SOME OF THE MORE FEEBLE MINDED IN PARTICULAR , THIS WILL INCLUDE ALL OF THE NON WHITE ANGLO, SAXON PROTESTANTS,COME UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THIS HEATHEN SOCIAL ORDER, THE MORE THEY WILL BE CORRUPTED BY THE BEASTIALITY THAT PERVADES THE W.A.S.P. SOCIAL ORDER AND THE LACK OF MORAL VALUES THEY STAND FOR. THERE ARE MORE FAGGOTS NOW BECAUSE, THE WASP SOCIETY IS RIDDLED WITH THEM.AND TEACH THIS AS AN EXCEPTABLE WAY OF LIFE. THEY ARE THE REASON YOU HAVE SO MANY PRIEST SEXUALLY MOLESTING THEIR CHARGES IN THE NAME OF " GOD "!!! FOR EVERY ONE IN OUR RACE THERE MUST BE ABOUT A THOUSAND IN YOURS!!!!!!! BE SAFE, BE WELL AND BE BLESSED!!!!! " G "
The book called "The Life" by Alan Cramer points out the fact that when black women are killed they police just chalk it up to violence in the 'hood. But when white women are killed or missing they bring out the search dogs and the whole nine.
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Comments: (8)
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By: Crystal on 7/08/2010 11:48AM
A lot about this story does not sit right with me. For one these women were prostitutes so any man's DNA could have been at the scene. I'm not saying he didn't do it.But police have found a new weapon called DNA misuse against African-Americans scary. It's like the Salem witch trials.
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By: paul on 7/09/2010 3:09PM
No, it's different than the witch trials. Just because you don't understand the technology doesn't mean it's Voodoo magic.
Just look at all the people who are being released from prison based on new DNA technology. I'd say those trials that put innocent people in jail were more like the witch trials. DNA and other new technologies actually bring us further from the witch hunts and closer to the truth.
Report This
By: christinekane86 on 7/12/2010 7:38AM
I'm a hot white babygirl with perfect sexual stature. I am seeking an interracial relationship n a soul mate . I would like to meet someone who love me for me and like to stay with me. Hit me up on --[w w w.blackwhitemingle{.}c o m]-- by username "cocobabe". Free to join, I am there waiting for you. ..... , . - . - , _ , ..... ..... ) ` - . .> ' `( ..... ..... / . . . .` . . ..... ..... |. . . . . |. . .| ..... ..... . . . ./ . ./ ..... ..... `=) /.=` ..... ..... `-;`.-' ..... ..... `)| ... , ..... ..... || _.-'| ..... ..... ,_|| _,/ ..... ..... , ..... || .' ..... ..... | | ,. ||/ ..... .... ,..` | /|.,|Y, ..... ..... '-...'-._..||/ ..... ..... >_.-`Y| ..... ..... ,_|| ..... ..... || ..... ..... || ..... ..... || ..... ..... |/ .....
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By: Grim Whitey on 7/08/2010 5:37PM
First it's the incest thing with the 10 year old girl, now you're serial killing?!? Is there nothing sacred anymore?
Next you'll be running a Ponzi scheme.
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By: Uriah Jordan on 7/10/2010 1:44AM
Twenty-Five Years! This man had been killing black folk for twenty-five years and this is the first time I heard of the killings! Maybe its the fact that I'm in North Carolina but I never heard of this case until a few days ago. As an African-American I'm not at all shcked that the mainstream media ignored it but I am dismayed that a site like BV has finally gotten around to writting about it. To know that women in my life could have been and may still be at risk because the media including BV does not feel that the deaths of our women are news worthy to print is sickening.
Jeffery Dhammer picked black men because he knew that the media would ignore it so did this guy. In my area two black men have been villified because they killed Eve Carson prior to that how many black women did they kill before their crimes became noetworthy? This kind of journalistic-self hatred bothers me to no end! BV here something that you can do other than give us theories about why black women are single; try informing us about our missing children, and if there are anymore serial murderers targeting our community. BV is supposed to be serving our community right? Fogive me if I ranted but I have a mother, sisters, aunts and cousins that I love.
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By: G REDD on 7/10/2010 12:18AM
YOU SAID A MOUTHFUL THE MORE BLACK PEOPLE IN GENERAL ,AND SOME OF THE MORE FEEBLE MINDED IN PARTICULAR , THIS WILL INCLUDE ALL OF THE NON WHITE ANGLO, SAXON PROTESTANTS,COME UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THIS HEATHEN SOCIAL ORDER, THE MORE THEY WILL BE CORRUPTED BY THE BEASTIALITY THAT PERVADES THE W.A.S.P. SOCIAL ORDER AND THE LACK OF MORAL VALUES THEY STAND FOR. THERE ARE MORE FAGGOTS NOW BECAUSE, THE WASP SOCIETY IS RIDDLED WITH THEM.AND TEACH THIS AS AN EXCEPTABLE WAY OF LIFE. THEY ARE THE REASON YOU HAVE SO MANY PRIEST SEXUALLY MOLESTING THEIR CHARGES IN THE NAME OF
" GOD "!!! FOR EVERY ONE IN OUR RACE THERE MUST BE ABOUT A THOUSAND IN YOURS!!!!!!! BE SAFE, BE WELL AND BE BLESSED!!!!! " G "
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By: denishawilliams on 7/12/2010 2:26PM
TO CHRISTINEKANE86 LISTEN WHITE TRASH THIS AINT THE CHATLINE HOOKER THIS IS THE COMMENT LINE OOOOKKK BEAMBAT
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By: Alan Cramer on 6/09/2011 4:27PM
The book called "The Life" by Alan Cramer points out the fact that when black women are killed they police just chalk it up to violence in the 'hood. But when white women are killed or missing they bring out the search dogs and the whole nine.
Reply to this Comment | Report This