Evie Summers
The trial of Lonnie David Franklin Jr., also known as the Grim Sleeper, took place in Los Angeles, California. Franklin was convicted of killing nine women and one teenage girl from 1985 to 2007. The trial began in February 2016 and, after three months and a day and a half of jury deliberation, Franklin was found guilty of all charges. On August 10, 2016, he was sentenced to death for each of the ten victims named in the verdict.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Downtown Los Angeles courtroom, California |
| Date | February 16, 2016 |
| Verdict | Guilty on all counts |
| Sentence | Death |
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What You'll Learn
The trial took place in Los Angeles
The trial of Lonnie David Franklin Jr., the notorious serial killer known as the "Grim Sleeper", took place in Los Angeles, California. The trial began on February 16, 2016, in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom, bringing an end to Franklin's decades-long reign of terror in the city.
Franklin was accused of a string of murders that primarily targeted young, vulnerable Black women in South Los Angeles. Most of the victims were found dumped in alleyways, parks, trash bins, or covered by mattresses and debris in the Manchester Square neighborhood of South Los Angeles. The trial focused on 11 victims, but authorities believe there may be more, with some estimates placing the number as high as 25.
The trial lasted for three months, with the jury reaching a verdict on May 5, 2016. Franklin was convicted of killing nine women and one teenage girl. The jury recommended the death penalty, and on August 10, 2016, the Los Angeles Superior Court sentenced him to death for each of the ten victims named in the verdict.
The trial was significant not only because it brought justice for the victims and their families but also because it shone a light on the racial dynamics of the case. The victims were all Black women, some of whom were involved in prostitution and drug use. The killings sparked protests from the Black community, who felt that the LAPD's lack of policing in the areas where the murders occurred was irresponsible and racially motivated.
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The victims were young black women
The trial of Lonnie David Franklin Jr., the serial killer known as the "Grim Sleeper", took place in Los Angeles, California. Franklin was convicted of killing nine women and one teenage girl, and sentenced to death.
The victims of the Grim Sleeper were all young black women, some of whom were prostitutes and most of whom had been using cocaine. Their bodies were found in alleys and dumped in trash bins, covered by mattresses or debris, in a rough part of South Los Angeles. The killings began in the mid-1980s in parts of Los Angeles where the use of crack cocaine was rampant. Several other killers were also known to frequent the area, targeting prostitutes and drug addicts who were later found murdered.
The victims included:
- Lachrica Denise Jefferson, 22, found dead on January 30, 1988, in Westmont, Los Angeles County.
- Inez Elizabeth Warren, 28, shot on August 15, 1988, and died in a hospital in Gramercy Park, Los Angeles.
- Alicia Monique Alexander, 18, found dead on September 11, 1988, in an alley in Vermont Square, Los Angeles.
- Princess Berthomieux, 15, found strangled and beaten in March 2002 in an Inglewood alley.
- Janecia Peters, 25, found dead on January 1, 2007, in Los Angeles.
- Barbara Ware, 23, found dead on January 10, 1987, in the Central-Alameda area of Los Angeles.
- Thomas Steele, 36, found dead on August 14, 1986, in Harvard Park, Los Angeles.
- Debra Jackson, 29, shot three times in the chest.
The killings were so rampant that the Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders was formed in 1989 in protest of the LAPD’s lack of policing in areas where the murders occurred. The coalition felt it was irresponsible and racially motivated that information about the murders and the profile of the killer were not released to better protect black women in South Central L.A. Similar frustrations were aired during Bill Bratton’s early 2000s reign as Police Commissioner in L.A., when he and elected officials ignored the resurgence of murder in black neighborhoods.
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The killer was dubbed the 'Grim Sleeper' due to a 14-year gap in killings
The "Grim Sleeper" was the nickname given to serial killer Lonnie David Franklin Jr., who was responsible for at least ten murders and one attempted murder in Los Angeles, California, from 1984 to 2007. He earned this moniker due to a perceived 14-year hiatus in his killing spree, from 1988 to 2002. During this period, it is believed that Franklin did not cease his murderous activities entirely but rather became more discreet in his methods.
The Grim Sleeper targeted young Black women, many of whom were drug addicts or prostitutes. He would lure his victims into his car, kill them, and then dump their bodies alongside roads or in trash bins. The first known murder linked to the Grim Sleeper was the killing of Debra Jackson in August 1985. Her body was found in a garbage-filled alley in South Central Los Angeles. Over the next two years, six more women were shot and killed with a .25-caliber firearm, all in the chest at close range.
In 1988, the killings appeared to cease, leading investigators to believe that the perpetrator had gone dormant. However, in 2000 and 2002, three more women were killed in a similar manner, suggesting that the Grim Sleeper had resumed his killing spree. Princess Berthomieux, the youngest known victim at 15 years old, was found strangled and beaten in an Inglewood alley in 2002.
The identity of the Grim Sleeper remained a mystery for over two decades, with investigators struggling to piece together the limited evidence left behind. In 2008, Los Angeles officials offered a $500,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the killer. It wasn't until 2010 that a breakthrough was achieved when a DNA sample recovered from the crime scenes was finally matched to Franklin. On July 7, 2010, authorities arrested the 57-year-old Franklin at his home in South Los Angeles.
Franklin's trial began in February 2016, and on May 5, he was convicted of killing nine women and one teenage girl. During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence of Franklin's history of sexual violence, including a gang rape in Germany in 1974. On June 6, 2016, the jury recommended the death penalty, and Franklin was sentenced to death for each of the ten victims named in the verdict. On March 28, 2020, Franklin was found dead in his cell at San Quentin State Prison, with the cause of death never publicly revealed.
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The trial began in February 2016
The trial of Lonnie David Franklin Jr., the alleged 'Grim Sleeper', began in February 2016. Franklin was accused of the murder of 10 women and the attempted murder of another. The trial took place in Los Angeles, California, where the murders occurred from 1984 to 2007.
Franklin earned his nickname, the "Grim Sleeper", due to a 14-year gap in his killings, from 1988 to 2002, during which time he appeared to be dormant. However, detectives believed that Franklin never truly "slept" and was still active during this period. The nickname "Grim Sleeper" was first coined by L.A. Weekly in 2008 after a victim was linked to a string of murders in the 1980s.
The trial began on February 16, 2016, after several delays and a lengthy pretrial discovery process. It took place in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom, specifically in the criminal courts building. The trial lasted for three months, with the jury reaching a verdict on May 5, 2016. Franklin was convicted of killing nine women and one teenage girl. The jury recommended the death penalty, and on August 10, 2016, Franklin was sentenced to death for each of the ten victims named in the verdict.
The trial focused on 11 victims, but police suspected that there were more. Franklin's victims were young Black women, some of whom were prostitutes and involved in drug use. Most of the bodies were found dumped in alleyways and trash bins in South Los Angeles, specifically in the Manchester Square neighborhood. The trial included testimony from Enietra Washington, the sole known survivor of the Grim Sleeper attacks, who described being shot and sexually assaulted in 1988.
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Franklin was convicted of killing 10 people
The trial of Lonnie David Franklin Jr., also known as the Grim Sleeper, took place in Los Angeles, California. Franklin was convicted of killing 10 people, although he is suspected of killing many more.
Franklin's victims were young Black women, some of whom were prostitutes, and most had been using cocaine. Their bodies were dumped in alleyways, trash bins, or covered by mattresses and debris. The killings took place between 1984 and 2007, with a 14-year gap in between, from 1988 to 2002, which gave Franklin his nickname.
Franklin was arrested in 2010 after DNA evidence linked him to the crimes. During the trial, which began in February 2016, prosecutors presented evidence that Franklin had killed nine women and one teenage girl. The jury convicted him of these murders on May 5, 2016, and recommended the death penalty. On August 10, 2016, Franklin was sentenced to death for each of the ten murders.
In addition to the ten murders Franklin was convicted of, investigators believe he may have been responsible for the deaths of several other women. These potential victims include Sharon Alicia Dismuke, Inez Warren, Georgia Mae Thompson, and Rolenia Morris, whose bodies were never found. Detectives also linked Franklin to six additional killings after reviewing old case files and identifying women from a collection of 180 photographs found in his possession.
The trial brought some closure to the victims' families, who had long been frustrated by the lack of attention given to the murders by the LAPD. The killings occurred in poor, Black neighborhoods, and there was criticism that the police did not do enough to protect these communities or solve the crimes.
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Frequently asked questions
The trial of Lonnie David Franklin Jr., also known as the Grim Sleeper, took place in Los Angeles, California.
Franklin was convicted of killing nine women and one teenage girl. On June 6, 2016, the jury recommended the death penalty, and on August 10, 2016, the Los Angeles Superior Court sentenced him to death.
Franklin was charged with ten murders and one attempted murder but investigators suspect he is responsible for additional deaths. Most of his victims were young Black women, some of whom were prostitutes, and their bodies were dumped in alleyways and trash bins in South Los Angeles.
Franklin earned the nickname "Grim Sleeper" because there was a 14-year gap between his killings, from 1988 to 2002, during which he appeared to be dormant. However, detectives believed that he never truly "slept" and was responsible for additional murders during this period.
