Miya Pearson
Lonnie David Franklin Jr., better known as the Grim Sleeper, was an American serial killer responsible for at least 10 murders and one attempted murder in Los Angeles, California, from 1984 to 2007. He earned his nickname due to an apparent 14-year hiatus in his killing spree, from 1988 to 2002, during which no bodies were discovered. However, some investigators dispute this break, believing that Franklin was active during this period and may have murdered up to 11 people.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Lonnie David Franklin Jr. |
| Alias | The Grim Sleeper |
| Reason for Alias | A 14-year gap between killings, from 1988 to 2002 |
| Victims | At least 10 murders and 1 attempted murder |
| Age at Death | 67 |
| Date of Death | March 28, 2020 |
| Cause of Death | Heart problems and high blood pressure |
| Conviction | Death penalty for 10 counts of first-degree murder and 1 count of attempted murder |
| Trial Duration | 3.5 months |
| Jury Deliberation | 1 day |
| Date of Conviction | August 10, 2016 |
| Method | Shooting, strangulation, or both |
| Victim Profile | Young, vulnerable Black women with drug addictions |
| Victim Count | 25 possible victims, 1000+ photos of women found in his home |
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What You'll Learn
- The Grim Sleeper was a nickname given to serial killer Lonnie David Franklin Jr
- He was convicted of killing nine women and a teenage girl
- He was also convicted for rape and sexual violence
- He took a 14-year break from his crimes, from 1988 to 2002
- Investigators believe he never stopped killing and had at least 25 victims
The Grim Sleeper was a nickname given to serial killer Lonnie David Franklin Jr
Franklin's victims were all young, vulnerable, Black women who lived in South Los Angeles and struggled with drug addiction. They were shot at close range with a _.25-caliber pistol, strangled, or both, and their naked or partially clothed bodies were dumped in filthy neighborhood alleyways. In addition to the murders, Franklin was also convicted of rape and sexual violence. When investigators searched his home, they found items from his victims, as well as over 1,000 photographs of numerous women, some of whom were nude, unconscious, or bleeding.
The delay in Franklin's arrest outraged families and community activists, who accused the police of marginalizing the crimes because of race. The killings occurred in parts of Los Angeles where the use of crack cocaine was rampant, and several other killers were known to target prostitutes and drug addicts in the area. The Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders was formed in 1989 in protest of the LAPD's lack of policing in the areas where the murders occurred.
While Franklin appeared to take a break from his killing spree, some investigators and experts dispute this claim. They believe that Franklin had additional victims during the supposed downtime and that he never truly "slept." They argue that it is uncommon for serial killers to stop on their own and that the fact that Franklin kept so many pictures and trophies indicates the strength of his urges. Furthermore, they note that when Franklin allegedly resurfaced, he became progressively more violent, transitioning from shooting to strangling his victims.
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He was convicted of killing nine women and a teenage girl
Lonnie David Franklin Jr., better known as the Grim Sleeper, was convicted of killing nine women and a teenage girl. He was also convicted of one count of attempted murder. The teenage victim was 15 years old. The women he killed were aged between 19 and 35. They were mothers, sisters, and daughters.
Franklin's first known murder was that of Debra Jackson in 1985. He shot her three times in the chest using a .
Franklin was a retired garbage collector. He prowled the streets near his South Central home, luring victims into his car, killing them, and dumping their bodies in Los Angeles alleys. All of his victims were young, vulnerable, Black women, many of whom were at vulnerable stages in their lives. Some were drug addicts, and some were forced by circumstances to work as prostitutes.
The killings began in the mid-1980s in parts of Los Angeles where the use of crack cocaine was rampant. Several other killers were known to frequent the area, targeting prostitutes and drug addicts. The bodies of their victims were often found in alleys, parks, or trash bins and dumpsters.
Franklin's choice of victims, Black women, also strayed from the standard profile of serial murder victims, who are usually white women. This, along with the location of the murders in Black neighborhoods, led to accusations of racial bias and marginalization by the LAPD.
In 1989, the Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders was formed in protest of the LAPD's lack of policing in areas where the murders occurred. The coalition felt that the failure to release information about the murders and the profile of the killer was irresponsible and racially motivated.
Despite the apparent hiatus in Franklin's crimes between 1988 and 2002, investigators believe he never stopped killing. They suspect he killed 11 people during this time and likely had at least 25 victims in total.
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He was also convicted for rape and sexual violence
Lonnie David Franklin Jr., better known as the "Grim Sleeper", was an American serial killer convicted of at least ten murders and one attempted murder in Los Angeles, California, from 1984 to 2007. He earned his nickname due to an apparent 14-year hiatus from his crimes, from 1988 to 2002. However, some experts, including forensic psychologist Joni Johnston, dispute this break in his killing spree.
Franklin was also convicted of rape and sexual violence. In 1974, while stationed with the US Army in Germany, he raped a young woman. He also had prior convictions for burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, and auto theft.
Franklin's victims were all young, vulnerable, Black women who lived in South Los Angeles and struggled with drug addiction. Many of the women were also prostitutes, a common target for serial killers. He would lure them into his car, kill them, and dump their bodies in nearby alleyways, leaving them to rot under garbage and debris.
During a search of his home, investigators found over 1,000 photographs of women, some nude, unconscious, bleeding, and presumably dead. They also found items belonging to his victims, which he kept as trophies.
Franklin was arrested in 2010 and sentenced to death in 2016. He died in his prison cell in 2020 at the age of 67, with his cause of death attributed to natural causes related to heart problems and high blood pressure.
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He took a 14-year break from his crimes, from 1988 to 2002
Lonnie David Franklin Jr., better known as the Grim Sleeper, was an American serial killer responsible for at least ten murders and one attempted murder in Los Angeles, California, from 1984 to 2007. He was convicted of killing nine women and one teenage girl, and sentenced to death for each of the ten victims. Franklin earned his nickname due to an apparent 14-year hiatus from his crimes, from 1988 to 2002.
The long break between killings led investigators to believe that Franklin had stopped his murder spree for over a decade before starting again in 2002. However, some experts dispute the idea of a hiatus, as it is uncommon for serial killers to stop on their own. During the alleged break, Franklin is thought to have killed 11 people, and investigators believe he never truly "slept" at all. They suspect he may have been responsible for anywhere from 14 to 100 unsolved murders.
Franklin's victims were all young, vulnerable, Black women who lived in South Los Angeles and struggled with drug addiction. They were shot at close range, strangled, or both, and their naked or partially clothed bodies were dumped in filthy neighborhood alleyways. Franklin's choice of victims from marginalized communities contributed to the delay in his arrest, as families and activists accused the police of marginalizing the crimes due to race.
Franklin was finally arrested in 2010 when a DNA sample recovered from his son, Christopher Franklin, who had been arrested for carrying a weapon in 2009, was linked to the killer. Detectives collected a DNA sample from Franklin by posing as a pizzeria busboy, which matched the DNA from one of his victims.
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Investigators believe he never stopped killing and had at least 25 victims
Lonnie David Franklin Jr., better known as the "Grim Sleeper", was an American serial killer responsible for at least ten murders and one attempted murder in Los Angeles, California, from 1984 to 2007. He earned his nickname due to the long period of apparent inactivity between his killings, with a 14-year gap between 1988 and 2002. However, investigators believe that Franklin never stopped killing and had at least 25 victims.
Franklin's first confirmed victim was Debra Jackson, who was murdered in 1985. He went on to use the same .25 caliber gun in nine attacks, assaulting and strangling more while keeping photos of his victims as trophies in his home. By 1987, there were seven victims linked to the same gun, all of whom had been shot in the chest at close range. In 2007, the killing of Janecia Peters was linked through DNA analysis to at least 11 unsolved murders in Los Angeles, dating back to 1985.
Franklin was a retired garbage collector who prowled the streets near his South Central home, luring victims into his car and then killing them. All of his victims were young, vulnerable Black women, many of whom struggled with drug addiction and worked as prostitutes. Their bodies were dumped in neighborhood alleyways, left to rot under garbage and debris.
Upon his arrest in 2010, nearly 1,000 photos of women and teenage girls were found in his home—some nude, unconscious, bleeding, and presumably dead. Investigators believe that Franklin had additional victims during his supposed period of inactivity and that he likely had at least 25 victims in total. Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck stated, "We certainly don't believe we are so lucky or so good as to know all of his victims. We need the public's help."
Franklin was convicted of ten murders and one attempted murder in 2016 and was sentenced to death. He died in his prison cell at San Quentin State Prison on March 28, 2020, at the age of 67. His cause of death was never publicly revealed.
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Frequently asked questions
The "Grim Sleeper", Lonnie David Franklin Jr., earned his nickname due to an apparent 14-year hiatus in his killing spree, from 1988 to 2002. However, some investigators and experts dispute that he took a break at all.
During the break, Franklin was living a seemingly normal life. Neighbours considered him a friendly guy who helped fix cars. However, he had a criminal history, including rape, burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, and auto theft.
The Grim Sleeper was responsible for at least 10 murders and one attempted murder in Los Angeles, California, from 1984 to 2007. All of his victims were young, vulnerable, Black women, many of whom struggled with drug addiction and/or worked as prostitutes. They were shot at close range, strangled, or both, and their naked or partially clothed bodies were dumped in filthy neighbourhood alleyways.
The Grim Sleeper was finally caught in 2010 through familial DNA testing. After his son, Christopher, was arrested for carrying a weapon in 2008 or 2009 and had to give a DNA swab, it was determined that he was related to the killer. Detectives then collected a DNA sample from Franklin, which was matched to DNA found on one of his victims.
