Case overview
Between 1985 and 2007, at least ten women were murdered in South Los Angeles, their bodies discarded in alleys and dumpsters in a concentrated geographic area. The killer used a .25-caliber handgun in most cases, and investigators noted similarities in victim selection, dumping patterns, and forensic evidence. A 14-year gap between confirmed murders earned the suspect his nickname, though investigators would later question whether he had stopped killing or simply avoided detection.
The early victim pattern
The first known victim, Debra Jackson, was found shot to death in an alley near Western Avenue in August 1985. Over the next three years, six more women were killed in similar fashion. Most were Black women in their twenties and thirties, several with histories of drug use or sex work. They were found in South Los Angeles neighborhoods near Vermont Avenue, Western Avenue, and Figueroa Street, within a roughly three-mile radius.
Ballistics testing linked several murders to the same .25-caliber handgun. Investigators also noted that victims had been sexually assaulted, and some had ligature marks or evidence of strangulation in addition to gunshot wounds. The clustering of victims, weapon consistency, and similar disposal methods pointed to a single offender, but the case lacked forensic leads that could identify a suspect.
By 1988, seven women had been killed. Then the murders stopped.
The 14-year gap and the return
No linked murders were reported between 1988 and 2002. Investigators speculated the killer had died, been incarcerated on unrelated charges, or moved. In 2002, the body of Princess Berthomieux was found in South Los Angeles. Ballistics matched the same .25-caliber weapon used in the 1980s murders. The killer had resumed, or had never stopped.
Between 2003 and 2007, two more women were killed and linked to the same suspect. Valerie McCorvey was found in 2003, and Janecia Peters in 2007. The pattern remained consistent: victims were Black women, most involved in street-level activity, found in alleys or vacant areas within the same geographic zone. The press began covering the case more heavily, and the killer was given the name Grim Sleeper in reference to the apparent gap in activity.
By 2007, the Los Angeles Police Department had at least ten unsolved homicides linked by ballistics, victim profile, and location. DNA evidence had been recovered from several crime scenes, but no match existed in state or federal databases.
The DNA breakthrough and familial search
In 2008, California became one of the first states to authorize familial DNA searching, a technique that identifies partial matches in offender databases to locate relatives of unknown suspects. In 2010, the LAPD cold case unit submitted DNA from the crime scenes for familial analysis. The search returned a partial match to a man in custody on a felony weapons charge.
The partial match indicated the suspect was likely a close biological relative. Investigators identified the man’s father, Lonnie David Franklin Jr., a sanitation worker and mechanic who had lived in South Los Angeles for decades. Franklin’s home was located within the cluster zone where victims had been found.
Detectives conducted surveillance and obtained a discarded DNA sample from Franklin at a restaurant. The sample was a full match to DNA recovered from multiple crime scenes. Franklin was arrested on July 7, 2010.
What investigators found at the residence
A search of Franklin’s home on 81st Street yielded disturbing evidence. Investigators recovered a .25-caliber handgun that matched the ballistics from the murders, along with hundreds of photographs and videos of women, many appearing unconscious or unaware they were being filmed. Some of the women in the images were identified as victims. Others were never identified, and detectives could not confirm whether they were alive or had been harmed.
Franklin had worked as a garage attendant and sanitation employee, jobs that gave him mobility and irregular hours. His vehicle and work routes overlapped with areas where victims were found. Investigators also discovered that Franklin had been arrested in 1982 for assault with a deadly weapon and kidnapping, charges that were later dismissed. He was not in the DNA database at the time of his 2010 arrest because California did not retroactively collect DNA from all felons until recent years.
The recovery of the photographs raised questions about whether Franklin had killed more than ten women. LAPD released some images to the public in an effort to identify additional victims, but many remain unidentified.
Charges, trial, and conviction
Franklin was charged with ten counts of murder and one count of attempted murder related to a 1988 survivor, Enietra Washington, who had been shot and pushed from a vehicle but survived. Washington provided key testimony during the trial, identifying Franklin as her attacker. Her survival and willingness to testify were critical to establishing Franklin’s method and pattern.
The trial, which began in 2016, focused heavily on DNA evidence, ballistics, and victim linkage. Defense attorneys challenged the familial DNA search, arguing it was an invasion of privacy and set a concerning precedent. Prosecutors countered that the technique was legally authorized and had been instrumental in solving a serial murder case that had remained cold for decades.
In May 2016, Franklin was convicted on all counts. He was sentenced to death in August 2016. Franklin maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings and did not testify.
The gaps and unresolved questions
The Grim Sleeper case was officially linked to ten homicides and one attempted murder, but investigators believe Franklin may have been responsible for additional deaths. The 14-year gap between known murders remains unexplained. Some detectives believe Franklin continued killing but disposed of bodies in ways that prevented linkage. Others theorize he was incarcerated briefly or engaged in criminal activity that did not result in homicide charges.
Franklin’s use of a camera raised additional concerns. The LAPD released 180 photographs of women found in his home, and only a portion have been identified. Families and advocacy groups have criticized the department’s handling of the images, and some argue that more resources should have been dedicated to identifying potential victims.
The case also renewed criticism of how law enforcement responded to crimes against marginalized women. Families of victims argued that cases were deprioritized because of the victims’ backgrounds. While some murders were investigated, no centralized effort to link them occurred until forensic advances made it possible years later.
The role of forensic genealogy and legal precedent
The Grim Sleeper case was one of the first major criminal investigations in California to use familial DNA searching. The technique has since been used in other high-profile cases, including the identification of the Golden State Killer. Critics argue the method raises privacy concerns, as it relies on DNA from individuals not suspected of crimes to locate relatives. Supporters contend it is a valid investigative tool when used within legal boundaries.
The case established legal precedent for the use of familial searching in California and influenced policy discussions in other states. Franklin’s conviction helped demonstrate the investigative value of the technique, though debates over its ethical use continue.
Outcome
Lonnie David Franklin Jr. died in prison on March 28, 2020, while awaiting execution. His death ended the possibility of further appeals or additional information being disclosed. Families of victims expressed relief at his conviction but frustration that many questions remained unanswered.
The case remains a reference point in discussions of serial homicide, forensic technology, and the treatment of marginalized victims in criminal investigations. The unidentified women in Franklin’s photographs continue to represent the unknown scope of his crimes.
Where to look next
- Documentary: “Tales of the Grim Sleeper” (HBO)
- Book: “The Grim Sleeper: The Lost Women of South Central” by Christine Pelisek
- Podcast: “The Grim Sleeper” (“Casefile True Crime”, Casefile Presents)
